PostCards: World Series Game 2 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Boston Red Sox

After a dismal showing last night by the St. Louis Cardinals in an 8-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox in World Series Game 1, all eyes are on rookie pitcher Michael Wacha as he makes his World Series debut.
Oct 23, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha before game one of the MLB baseball World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Image Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Wacha (4‐1, 2.79) takes to the mound for the Cardinals against Red Sox starter John Lackey (10‐13, 3.52).

Nationally, the series will be televised on FOX with Joe Buck on the call and fomer Cardinals catcher Tim McCarver providing commentary for the last World Series of his broadcasting career. KMOX has Mike Shannon and John Rooney on the call. Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser will handle the World Series call for ESPN Radio.

In Game 2’s, the Cardinals own a 22-16 record in postseason history. In the World Series, the Cards are 8-10 overall, going 3-7 on the road. The club’s last Game 2 win came in 1985 against the Kansas City Royals.

In 13 World Series appearances, the Cardinals have started play tied 1-1. The Cardinals have won 10 of those, including both 2006 and 2011. Of the World Series in which the Cards started 0-2 four times, they would go home empty-handed–the most recent being in 2004.

Wacha will become the 11th Cardinals rookie pitcher to start a World Series game. He is the first since Anthony Reyes started Game 1 against the Detroit Tigers in 2006, where the Cards won 7-2 on the road. The other Cardinal rookies to start World Series games include Joe Magrane (1987), John Stuper (1982), Dave LaPoint (1982), Dick Hughes (1967), Ted Wilks (1944) Al Brazle (1943), Johnny Beazley (1942), Paul Dean (1934) and Paul Derringer (1931). This past season, the Cards led all of baseball with 36 combined wins from rookie pitchers. This is the most for the franchise since setting a club record of 42 wins back in the 1941 season.

In postseason history, the Cards are 1-4 on games played on October 24th. The sole win came during the 2006 World Series when the Cards shut out the Tigers 5-0 in Game 3 behind 8.0 scoreless innings from Chris Carpenter (3 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts).

Cardinals Lineup:
Matt Carpenter (2B)
Carlos Beltran (RF)
Matt Holliday (LF)
Matt Adams (1B)
Yadier Molina (C)
Allen Craig (DH)
David Freese (3B)
Jon Jay (CF)
Daniel Descalso (SS)
Pitcher: Michael Wacha

Red Sox Lineup:
Jacoby Ellsbury (CF)
Shane Victorino (RF)
Dustin Pedroia (2B)
David Ortiz (DH)
Mike Napoli (1B)
Jonny Gomes (LF)
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C)
Stephen Drew (SS)
Xander Bogaerts (3B)
Pitcher: John Lackey