5 Reasons the San Francisco Giants Will Beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS
The San Francisco Giants meet the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2014 National League Championship Series. While neither team was a favorite to advance to this point, it is really no surprise, given their recent track records of success.
Playoff experience and prior postseason success are two major reasons the Giants and the Cardinals advanced. Neither team is awed by the moment, and both are able to increase their focus and performance without getting too tight.
It's the fourth consecutive year the Cardinals have played in the NLCS. They won it and advanced to the World Series in 2011, where they defeated the Texas Rangers.
The Giants are playing in their third NLCS in the past five seasons, having won world championships in 2010 and 2012.
The two teams are evenly matched, but several little things will tilt the balance in the Giants' favor.
Let's take a closer look at five key factors that give the Giants the edge and will ultimately lead them to the World Series.
5. More Than Team Chemistry
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The San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals both have very good team chemistry. Each ball club is filled with team leaders and gritty veterans who know how to win.
However, an incredible sense of selfless altruism pervades the Giants' very nature.
Several Giants players have spoken about how important it was for them to get teammate Tim Hudson into the second round of the playoffs, something that had eluded him over his 16-year career.
This is the seventh time Hudson has been in the playoffs but the first time he has been on a team that advanced.
Ryan Vogelsong explained just how much the team means to the players, per NBC on Yahoo Sports, as reported by Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com:
"I know personally for me, today I had a lot of thoughts about getting Hudson to the next round. You know, he’s never been past the first round, and it was weighing on my mind pretty heavy today that I needed to come out here and throw a great game to get Huddy to the next round.
That just speaks to you about what we have in this room. It's not about you and it’s not about I. It’s about us.
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Tim Lincecum, who was the only player on the Giants' 25-man roster not to play in the Washington series, was still extremely happy for Hudson. Instead of sulking about his own lack of play, Lincecum showed what it means to be a good teammate:
"It's equally as gratifying to be part of this as it is to watch a guy get further into the playoffs, just because he's so excited he acts like a kid at times. You just see how much it means to them and it resonates with you a little bit more, because you're not just playing for yourself. You want to win and get further for other guys.
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When individuals come together as a team and become selfless, wanting success for their teammates as much as they want it for themselves, that is an intangible asset that is very tough to beat.
More than team chemistry, the selfless desire to do better for their brothers is what drives the Giants and gives them a tremendous edge.
4. The Brandons
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Brandon Crawford hit only .246 during the regular season but drove in 69 runs. That is even more impressive when you consider that Crawford usually hit in the eighth spot in the batting order.
To put Crawford's contribution into perspective, cleanup hitter Pablo Sandoval had only 73 RBI, even though he had nearly 100 more at-bats than Crawford.
Crawford played some of his best baseball in the 2012 postseason, and he appears to be locked in again. His defense has been excellent, and it was his grand slam against the Pirates that helped propel the Giants to victory in the Wild Card Game.
Crawford has demonstrated the ability to hit in the clutch, and he will be able to handle the pressure when he has an at-bat with the game on the line.
Brandon Belt's 2014 regular season was almost a wasted year. Injuries caused him to play in only 61 games during the regular season.
Belt is finally healthy and is swinging the bat well. In the 2014 postseason, Belt has seven hits in 21 at-bats for a .333 average. His OBP is .417, and he has an OPS of .893. Belt's home run in the 18th inning of Game 2 against the Nationals proved to be the game-winner.
With Belt coming around and putting good swings on the ball and Crawford producing a lot of RBI, these two could be the difference in the upcoming series against the Cardinals.
3. Madison Bumgarner Is Healthy, and Adam Wainwright Is Not
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Adam Wainwright, the ace of the Cardinals pitching staff, is battling elbow tendinitis. He is expected to start Game 1 of the series against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner.
If Wainwright's elbow continues to be an issue, do not expect him to pitch deep into games. He also may not be as effective. Even though he will have seven days between starts, Wainwright's health is a question mark.
Wainwright was outstanding during the regular season, as he complied a record of 20-9 with an ERA of 2.38 and a WHIP of 1.031. He threw 227 innings, allowed only 184 hits and 50 walks, and struck out 179.
However, Wainwright did poorly in his only postseason start against the Dodgers. In 4.1 innings of work, he allowed 11 hits and one walk while striking out five. He allowed six earned runs and has an ERA of 12.46 and a WHIP of 2.769.
Contrast Wainwright's 2014 postseason performance with that of Madison Bumgarner. The latter has thrown a total of 16 innings in two starts. He has allowed only 10 hits and two walks while striking out 16.
A wild throw to third on a bunt play against the Nationals is Bumgarner's only real blemish of the 2014 playoffs.
Bumgarner was also extremely strong during the regular season. He threw 217.1 innings, allowed 194 hits and 43 walks, and struck out 219. He finished the year with a record of 18-10. His ERA was 2.98, and his WHIP was 1.090.
If Bumgarner can get the upper hand in this pitching matchup, it will be a major reason the Giants win this series.
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2. The Giants Bullpen Is Pitching Very Well
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Giants manager Bruce Bochy is outstanding in his ability to work his bullpen and get the most out of his relief pitchers. He and pitching coach Dave Righetti have done a masterful job with this group.
Santiago Casilla, the closer for the Giants, has been particularly strong over the past several weeks. Since the beginning of September, Casilla has appeared in 10 games and has thrown a total of 11 innings. He has allowed only two hits and one run in those 11 innings.
Sergio Romo has also done a tremendous job in his past nine appearances. In eight innings, Romo has allowed only four hits and has not given up a run.
From the left side, Bochy will call on Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez. Both have a lot of postseason experience and have been throwing the ball well in recent outings.
The wild card in the bullpen is rookie Hunter Strickland. He was a September call-up but has impressed Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean enough to merit being on the postseason roster.
Although Strickland has allowed three home runs in three innings, he has displayed a fastball in the upper 90s. He has already thrown some tense and valuable innings in the Giants' first five playoff games.
Strickland is not afraid to challenge hitters and has a closer's mentality, having closed for Richmond, the Giants' Double-A affiliate.
The Cardinals bullpen features closer Trevor Rosenthal. He saved 45 games for the Cardinals this year but has been far from a sure thing. Rosenthal's ERA is 3.20 with a WHIP of 1.408, both of which are too high for an elite closer.
Setup man Pat Neshek was one of the premier relievers in the game earlier this year. He faltered in September with a 4.82 ERA. Neshek has pitched better in the postseason and will try to continue that trend against the Giants.
Marco Gonzalez is the Cardinals' top lefty out of the bullpen. He has pitched well in the postseason, allowing no runs in three innings of work. Gonzalez was not as effective in the regular season. His ERA was 4.15, and he had a 1.53 WHIP.
The key San Francisco relievers are pitching well in the playoffs, and their postseason experience gives them a slight edge over the Cardinals bullpen.
1. Bruce Bochy
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Mike Matheny of the Cardinals is a good manager, but he does not have the postseason results Bochy has. Interestingly, both managers are former catchers.
Matheny is in his third year at the helm for the Cardinals. In his first season, 2012, the Cardinals reached the NLCS, only to be beaten by Bochy and the Giants. Matheny's Cardinals reached the World Series in 2013 but lost to the Boston Red Sox.
Bochy took over as the Giants manager in 2007. Prior to that, he managed the San Diego Padres for 12 years.
Bochy is one of the best managers in the game, and he led the Giants to World Series titles in 2010 and 2012. He provides a steady and calm approach for the Giants.
Strategically, Bochy is excellent. He has repeatedly outmanaged his counterparts in the postseason. We saw this in the NLDS, as Matt Williams made several decisions that cost his team.
Whether we're talking about the pitching staff or the offense, Bochy is a master at being able to put his players in the best positions to succeed. He also has the complete respect of his players, and they will always play hard for him.
Matheny is good, but Bochy is better. His presence gives the Giants a huge advantage.
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