Lester, Wainwright face-off again

Two teams that are fundamentally-sound haven't impressed in the World Series so far. The Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals are well-known for their solid pitching and defense. Unfortunately, both have committed more than usual errors and pitching hasn't lived up. Speaking of pitching, Adam Wainwright will get a chance to improve on his game 1 start in the World Series. Wainwright, Cardinals ace pitcher, only lasted for five innings and gave up three runs. His counterpart, Jon Lester will also make his second start in the series. Lester pitched into the 8th inning in game 1, without giving up a run.

Wainwright, once a top-prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, closed out the 2006 World Series in Busch Stadium. He moved on to be a top of the rotation starter ever since. In fact, he took over as staff ace with the departure of his mentor, Cris Carpenter. Wainwright was definitely not pleased with his game 1 performance. All of his teammates know that he holds himself accountable. They don't doubt that he will pitch better. In fact, Wainwright, on four days rest, has been practicing his delivery in front of the mirror. His own assessment is that his delivery and mechanics were sub-par for game 1.



Lester, who had more than enough run-support, hasn't lost the zip on his fastball. Lester does well against both righties and lefties. Aside from having flame-throwing fastball, he locates the ball well on the corners. Although his ERA wasn't one of the best in the American League this year, he has had a strong second half. Out of his last 13 starts, 11 were quality starts. That's what makes him reliable for his team. That's what makes him the ace.



Will Wainwright get back to form? Or will Lester dominate again? I sure hope we don't have another awkward ending tonight.