World Series 2013: Full Schedule and Predictions for Remaining Games

The wild and back-and-forth 2013 World Series will surely go the distance. It’s an ending only fitting between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox after four games that have been anything but predictable.

When you have the top two teams in baseball, who have battled through a rigorous campaign for the past seven months, you’re bound to see some anomalies. While having the Series knotted at two games apiece isn’t surprising, the road has been bumpy.

In consecutive games, the script has looked like something out of Hollywood. The winners have been decided by unlikely and surprising circumstances. A controversial obstruction call handed the Cardinals a shocking win in Game 3. Boston bounced back with some drama of its own in Game 4, winning with late heroics from an unexpected source and a pickoff play to end the game.

Here’s a look at the obstruction call that resulted in a stunning ninth-inning victory for the Cards in Game 3, courtesy of MLB.com:

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The wild, wild finish to an incredible World Series Game 3: http://t.co/R6RrIlBANK #Walkoff presented by @Budweiser

— MLB (@MLB) October 27, 2013"

Fielding has also been uncharacteristically bad for both teams. The two teams have committed a total of 11 errors through four games—seven for Boston and four for St. Louis, according to Sports Illustrated:

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Given 11 errors (7 BOS, 4 STL) thus far, these teams have a shot at the Wild Card era WS record http://t.co/56f4dsKQMl

— SI MLB (@si_mlb) October 28, 2013"

The lack of efficiency in the field is surprising because the Cards were tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the fewest errors in the National League with 75, while the Sox finished fifth in the American League with 80 on the season.

What’s next? Expect the unexpected.

Here’s a schedule and predictions for the remaining three games.

Game 5: Monday, Oct. 28, at 8:07 p.m. ET; Busch Stadium, St. Louis

A pitching rematch from Game 1 will highlight this pivotal World Series matchup. Adam Wainwright was rocked by the Sox in that series opener and will attempt to get back on track by putting his team back in the series lead. At home this season, Wainwright has been masterful. He’s currently boasting a 2.53 ERA at Busch Stadium and is holding opposing batters to a .217 average at the plate.

On the flip side, Jon Lester threw a gem in his first World Series start, limiting the Cards to just five hits—six total baserunners—in 7.2 scoreless innings of work. He is 3-1 in the postseason, with a dominant 1.67 ERA, and has allowed only five earned runs in 27 innings of work. Lester can be beaten on the road, though, as seven of his eight losses in 2013 have come away from Fenway Park.

Look for the fielding to bounce back, and the pitching to keep this one close until the very end. Give the edge to Wainwright and the Cards, but only narrowly, as the series shifts back to Boston for the final two games.

Prediction: Cardinals 3, Red Sox 2

Game 6: Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 8:07 p.m. ET; Fenway Park, Boston

Each manager could choose to shake up his starting pitching the further and tighter this series gets. Don’t be surprised, though, if they send out their Game 2 starters and then mix it up if a Game 7 is necessary.

Facing elimination, expect John Lackey—the presumed Red Sox starter—to keep the Sox in the game long enough to allow late heroics that force a Game 7. At Fenway, Lackey was 6-3 during the regular season with a 2.32 ERA.

Meanwhile, Michael Wacha seems destined for an off night. With the pressure of winning the World Series on his shoulders in front of a fierce Fenway Park crowd, Wacha’s four-game postseason winning streak will come to an abrupt end. The 22-year-old has shown he can pitch in October, but the pressure of a championship and Boston’s desperation will be the deciding factors in this one.

Prediction: Red Sox 4, Cardinals 2

Game 7: Thursday, Oct. 31, at 8:07 p.m. ET; Fenway Park, Boston

All bets are off if this series goes to a seventh game. Either manager could surprise us by sending out a starter on less rest, so it’s hard to really make a clear-cut prediction here without knowing all of the facts. However, it’s pretty hard to bet against the Sox in Boston.

In 2013, Boston defended its home grass with a 53-28 record. The Cards were 43-38 on the road, a respectable finish in its own right.

As mentioned, though, the unpredictability of this game will be the true storyline and reason for viewing. I think, like Game 6, the Sox will feed off their fans and end a terrific run with the organization’s third championship in the past decade.

Prediction: Red Sox 6, Cardinals 2