John Lackey To Show His Postseason Stuff For St. Louis Cardinals

Whenever the St. Louis Cardinals received John Lackey in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly, we were told one of the main points of interest was his postseason expertise.

In addition to an edge.

Tonight we get to see that postseason expertise.

Well. We’ve gotten to see the edge. Tonight we get to see that postseason expertise when he takes the mound at Busch Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. And I, for one, am excited!

Over the course of six years and 12 series, Lackey has a postseason record of 6-5 with a 3.03 ERA. He has 78 strikeouts, 11 of which came last fall against the St. Louis Cardinals when he was a flamethrower for Boston. I distinctly remember his clinching performance. It was frustrating as a Cardinals fan to watch it. But it’s exactly what this team needs after less-than-dominant performances by Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn.

When Lackey is well-rested and focused, he’s proven in his short time with the Cards that he can be dominant. He told media yesterday that he was feeling well-rested and left no question that he is ready to take the mound for the Cardinals tonight:

"I’m going to cut it loose [tonight], whatever is in there is going to be in there. Yeah, this isn’t the regular season. We’re not saving anything. – John Lackey"

There are some questions that will loom through his performance.

1. How long of a leash will Manager Mike Matheny have on him if he gets wild? The longer he can go in the game if he is on, the better and I hope Mike remembers this little tidbit! Be a dominant, innings eater Lackey! Please!

2. Will he react if Adrian Gonzalez or Yasiel Puig strike an attitude with Yadi and team? How will he react? Don’t know about you, but I’m a little excited to see!

3. Who is the home plate umpire? For many reasons, hopefully he isn’t overly sensitive!

First pitch is at 8 p.m. Central on Fox Sports One. Enjoy! Go Cards!