NLCS Schedule 2012: When and Where to Watch Game 7 of Cardinals vs. Giants

It all comes down to this. One game for a ticket to the World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants both understand the stakes and the team that handles the immense pressure better will earn a chance to face the Detroit Tigers for all the marbles.

Momentum would seemingly be in the Giants dugout after two straight victories to force the deciding game. But the Cardinals reach peak performance when their backs are against the wall, as illustrated in elimination game wins over the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.

Let's take a look at the viewing information for Monday night's encounter followed by a preview of the matchup and a prediction for which team will advance to the Fall Classic.

Where: AT&T Park in San Francisco

When: Monday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: FOX

Game Preview

In a rematch of Game 3, which the Cardinals won 3-1, the Giants will send Matt Cain to the mound to take on Kyle Lohse. On paper, it's an advantage for San Francisco, but Lohse has been one of the league's most underrated pitchers all season.

A major storyline will surround which version of Cain shows up in Game 7. The one that has allowed three earned runs in all of his playoff starts this season or the one that threw a perfect game back in June, establishing him as one of the game's top arms?

The good news for Cain is he gets to face cold St. Louis bats. The Cardinals have scored just one run in the past two games. That said, if he doesn't start locating his pitches better then it doesn't matter how the opponent has been hitting.

On the flip side, Lohse has to face a Giants offense led by Pablo Sandoval that has started to generate runs even though Buster Posey and Hunter Pence have been slumping. So, at least in that area, the edge goes to San Francisco.

Then there's the intangible factor that ensures the Cardinals are going to at least give themselves a chance to win this game in the later innings. They have proven time and again in recent seasons that they know how to win when it matters most.

When the Braves were rallying in the play-in game, they got the benefit of a infield-fly call and proceeded to escape the jam. When it looked like the upstart Nationals were heading to the NLCS, the Cardinals fought back and stunned Washington.

In order to advance, the Giants will have to find a way to shut down one of baseball's most battle-tested teams. Even though they should expect some tense moments, they should be able to build off the last two games to eliminate the pesky Cardinals.

Prediction: Giants 4, Cardinals 3