Ortiz, Red Sox 1 win away

David Ortiz, the 16-year veteran, has been with the Boston Red Sox since 2003. In his time with the Red Sox, Ortiz has gotten a chance to play with hall of fame-caliber players (Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, and Curt Schilling), break the bambino curse, and most importanly, rewarded with contract extensions for his consistent play. As mentioned, Ortiz has seen many greats come and go in the organization, but he is the only player remaining from the 2004 team that broke "the curse" and won the World Series.

So what has kept Ortiz, who turns 38 next month, with the Red Sox for so long?  Ortiz has remained productive- plain and simple. Since joining the Red Sox, he hasn't hit less than 23 home runs in a season. Aside from consistency, Ortiz is a great teammate and clubhouse leader. Big Papi, as nickname that was given to Ortiz since his first couple of seasons with the Red Sox, has always been respected by his teammates. He's also a fan favorite, which has made him marketable for the organization.



Is that it? Are those the only reasons why Big Papi is still a Red Sox after 11 seasons? Well, no. How about post-season performance? Ortiz is clutch in the off-season. Entering Monday's game, Ortiz had a .290 batting average with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs. Currenty, in this post-season, Ortiz is hitting a whopping .733 with five homers and 14 RBIs.

Jon Lester, Game 5 starter, who dominated the Cardinals like he did in game 1, has been key to the Red Sox being on the verge of winning the World Series. It is hard to take any credit from Lester after both starts, but it is equally hard to leave off 250-pound Designated Hitter off the line-up, as well. If the Red Sox go on to win the World Series, David Ortiz has my vote for World Series MVP.

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.

Cards even series 1-1

After a horrendous defensive showing yesterday, the St Louis Cardinals played well out in the field and got a quality start from Michael Wacha. Wacha, who has been amazing in the playoffs, gave up only two runs in six innings. When he was relieved, the Cards were losing though. His counterpart, John Lackey, had a good curve ball, but command on fast ball was not as good. In fact, the wheels came off in the seventh inning for Lackey and the rest of the Red Sox as the Cardinals put up 3 runs in the inning to take the lead. The Cards had timely hitting, a stolen base, and errors committed by the Red Sox all in the seventh inning.

David Ortiz went deep again. This time opposite field. Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia have been the only ones hitting the ball consistently for the Red Sox; the other bats have been pretty much silent. Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina, drove in Matt Holliday for the first run of the game in the fourth inning on a ground out.

Looking ahead to Game 3: The World Series will shift to Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will send former reliever Joe Kelly to the mound. Red Sox will counter with veteran righty, Jake Peavy. It will be curious to see where David Ortiz will play. There's no doubt his bat has to be in the line-up.

 

The 2013 World Series is here

The St. Louis Cardinals are entering their fourth World Series appearance in ten seasons. Under new manager, Mike Matheny, the Cardinals still play top-notch baseball that have made them successful for years. Not only is there a new manager since the Cardinals won the World Series in 2011, half of the roster has been overhauled. On the other side,  the Boston Red Sox, who beat the Cardinals in 2004 to win the World Series are making their 3rd appearance in ten seasons. They also have overhauled the roster and coaches. These two organizations through change have remained in the upper-echelon. They have been examples of how major league baseball clubs should be ran.

St. Louis Cardinals will send pitcher Adam Wainwright who's coming of a mediocre start in L.A. John Lester, Red Sox' pitcher for game 1,  knows how to command the strike zone. Both have extended playoff and big game experience. Weather might play a factor as it's cold in Boston. Even for experienced pitchers, it is tougher to grip the ball in cold weather. Allen Craig, Cardinals first baseman, will get a chance to DH. This will benefit as he is slowly coming back from injury. He led the league in batting average with runners in scoring position. Speaking of DH, where will David Ortiz play when the series shifts to St. Louis? First base seems like the only possible spot. Cardinals outfielder practiced near the Green Monster in left field. Getting used to the big left field wall can come in handy later in the series.

Who wants to throw out a prediction? I say Cardinals in 6.