When the Rangers came back in the ninth inning to beat the Cardinals in Game 2 they won the series. The Cardinals needed to sweep the first two at home to have a chance in this one.
Now the series returns to Texas where the conditions, ballpark and rules benefit the Rangers’ dynamic offense. Here is how it will all unfold.
They Will Split Games 3 and 4
My initial inclination is to think the Rangers will sweep the Cardinals in Texas. This offense is on the verge of exploding, and they will be facing less than elite pitching in the next two games.
However, this is a scrappy Cardinals team with a strong offense of their own. I see their offense exploding for a big inning either against Matt Hamilton or Derek Holland. Neither guy has been able to get deep into games this postseason, and it will cost the Rangers a game.
Rangers Will Beat Chris Carpenter
That split will set the table for a huge Game 5. And the edge would seem to side with the Cardinals with staff ace Chris Carpenter on the mound. However, Carpenter was not quite as sharp in his last start as he had been.
He only allowed two runs over six innings, but the Rangers were close to touching him up for more.
They will do just that in this one, and crush the Cardinals’ hopes in the process.
Rangers Win in Six
The Cardinals have bounced back from a lot this season, but they will not be able to recover from losing that huge Game 5.
Just as they did against Carpenter, the Rangers offense will have much more success against Jamie Garcia the second time around. The Rangers will win this one in six and finish what they couldn’t quite do last year.
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