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NLCS Game
7 Breakdown: Cardinals Eliminate Astros
by Daniel Paulling
October 22, 2004
What Went Right
The Houston Astros got a RBI and a run scored from their leadoff
man, something they needed from Craig Biggio. The good part of the
game for the St. Louis Cardinals was that they got a very strong
pitching performance from Jeff Suppan, with six innings allowing
two runs (1 earned). Kiko Calero, Cal Eldred and Jason Isringhausen
all pitched scoreless innings to finish off the game. The heart
of the order – Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds for those of you
living under rocks – went 3 for 11 with 3 RBI. Starting pitcher
Suppan also contributed to his own cause by knocking in a run.
What Went Wrong
The Houston Astros had plenty of things go wrong in this game.
The most glaring is their offensive production. They faced Jeff
Suppan for six innings and only got 3 hits off him. The team from
Houston should have knocked around this guy, but they were shut
down. Carlos Beltran, Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman, and Jeff Kent
combined went 0 for 13. This ineptness might have resulted in Roger
Clemens sub par pitching performance of only lasting six innings
and giving up four runs. Roy Oswalt, a battler in this game, came
in and pitched well, but still gave up a run. I believe that Brad
Lidge should have come into this game after Clemens’ exit and
save Oswalt for another situation. Lidge has been completely dominating
against the Cardinals this season; why not use him in the biggest
innings of the biggest game of the year? Nothing really went wrong
for the Cardinals, except for the fact that Larry Walker, Reggie
Sanders, and Edgar Renteria aren’t performing to their normal
standards.
A Look to the Future
The Astros have plenty of decisions to make this offseason,
majorly concerning Roger Clemens, Jeff Kent, and Carlos Beltran.
If I were the Astros, I would try to get Pettitte to defer some
of his salary to help re-sign Clemens. Next I would decline the
option of Kent and give it full force to re-sign Beltran. The Cardinals
will now face the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. They send
Woody Williams, the Game 1 starter in the previous two series, to
the mound to counter Tim Wakefield. The game will be played in Boston
(thank you Roger Clemens), so look for a good game on Saturday,
October 23 on FOX at 7:30 PM.
Feel free to leave comments in the forums.
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