NLCS Schedule 2014: Giants vs. Cardinals Game 1 TV Coverage and Predictions

The National League has actually lived up to its nickname during the 2014 MLB playoffs.

The Senior Circuit features two teams—the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals—who have dominated the NL since 2010. Since that year, either the Giants or Cardinals has represented the league in the NLCS.

For comparison, the American League features two teams who haven't been to the World Series since 1983 and 1985, respectively—the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals.

Given the experience of both clubs, this installment of the NLCS should be one for the ages. The playoffs have already been spectacular overall. The favored team has lost every single time. Will that trend continue into the World Series?

Below you'll find the schedule for Day 1 of the NLCS, including predictions for how the first contest will play out.

Date	Time (ET)	Location	TV
Saturday, Oct. 11	8 p.m.	Busch Stadium	Fox

Game 1 Prediction

Aces will square off in Game 1, as Madison Bumgarner and Adam Wainwright will toe the rubber looking to give their teams a 1-0 advantage in the series.

The Giants' ace is 1-1 this postseason, but he has been dominant. The left-hander has allowed just three runs (two earned) over 16 innings. He has struck out 16 and walked just two in October.

Wainwright, on the other hand, hasn't been dominant. He got torched in his lone start of the NLDS, giving up six runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite the poor start, pitching coach Derek Lilliquist said Wainwright is in the right frame of mind, via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "He’s ready to go. He wants the ball."

It's hard to imagine Wainwright posting two straight poor starts in the postseason. He is one of the top pitchers in baseball, and while that doesn't make him immune to playoff struggles (see: Kershaw, Clayton), Wainwright and the Cardinals have a history of success in October.

Game 1 will be a pitcher's duel. Both aces will post quality starts and exit following seven innings of work. The Cardinals will lead 3-2 at the time when both pitchers exit.

The culprits for St. Louis will be Matt Carpenter and Jon Jay, two hitters who own Bumgarner. Check their stats against him below:

Player	Notable Stats
Matt Carpenter	3-for-5, 2 2B, 1 BB, 2 SO
Jon Jay	5-for-11, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SO

The game will come down to Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal. He saved 45 games this year, but his 3.20 ERA (2.99 FIP) was high for a closer. His 1.408 WHIP has a lot to do with that high ERA.

Putting runners on base is not conducive to locking down a save, though Rosenthal did a surprisingly good job of doing so in the regular season. It's very different in the playoffs.

Because the Giants are an experienced club in the playoffs, expect them to make Rosenthal work for every strike. They'll stay patient and work counts knowing he's apt to put runners on.

San Francisco will take a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning after Rosenthal gets pulled mid-inning. Seth Maness will ultimately be the pitcher who surrenders the go-ahead run, though it will be charged to Rosenthal.

Following a quick bottom of the inning by Santiago Casilla, the Giants will roll into Game 2 up 1-0 in the series.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR