WhiteSox - Cards series preview
| 10
|
No one knows for sure if Albert Pujols' homerun off of Brad Lidge last year in the NLCS has actually landed yet. And although that shot didnt in fact win the Cards a date with the Chicago White Sox last October, they will finally get their shots this week during an exciting inter-league matchup in Chicago (and possible preview of this year's fall classic).
The Cardinals come to Chicago indebted to the WhiteSox for their series sweep of division rival Reds. But the Cards have had their own success as of late, coming off of a sweep of the Rockies. Even without their big bopper Albert, the Cards have been rolling, and hope to continue with a tough opponant in the the WhiteSox.
Pitching:
Vazquez (4.54, 7-4) vs Mulder (5.32, 6-4)
Buehrle (3.13, 7-3) vs Marquis (4.55, 9-4)
Garcia (5.08, 8-4) vs Reyes (2.55, 1-0)
On first glance it would appear that the White Sox have the pitching advantage (in at least 2 of the 3 games), and although niether Contreras or Carpenter will be seen in the series, look for some good pitching this week.
Who to watch:
Thome-Konerko-Dye - Offensively, this 3-4-5 combo has been unmatched across the league. When these three can string some hits together, it becomes a near impossible task to take down the whitesox, and this is the key to any success the cards will have this week.
Rolen - With the absence of Pujols, the whitesox pitchers must be feeling pretty good about the upcoming series. But they still face a very good hitter in Rolen, Whitesox pitching needs to find a way to get him out to stop a good Cards offense.
Prediction:
Sox win series 2-1
Source
- ESPN.com (pitching stats)
Date
Mon 06/19/06, 9:04 am EST
