World Series 2011: Why Chris Carpenter vs. C.J. Wilson Will Live Up to Billing

Game 1 of the 2011 World Series features a pitching matchup between Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals and C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers. Both are rested and ready to bring their best stuff to the big stage.

Carpenter and Wilson already have World Series experience and are hungry to get back on track after shaky League Championship Series.

Wilson will use his electric repertoire to challenge the Cardinals' lineup, and Carpenter will bring his veteran savvy against the slugging Rangers.

Here are five reasons why tonight's pitching showdown will live up to its billing.

Unfamiliarity Favors Pitching

These two teams haven't squared off in seven years, so both teams are quite unfamiliar with their opponent.

When a lineup encounters a pitcher for the first time, the pitcher usually has the advantage because the batters have never seen his arsenal. The batters are the ones who have to react. That's why pitching usually prevails in a World Series between unfamiliar opponents.

C.J. Wilson and Chris Carpenter will be throwing the kitchen sink at their opponents for the first time, so it will take batters a little while to adjust to the pitchers' style and tendencies.

Wilson and Carpenter Are Rested

Both Carpenter and Wilson are well rested heading into tonight's duel, so it's highly probable that both will pitch deep into the night.

Wilson has had five days of rest since his start in Game 5 of the ALCS. Carpenter has been off the mound for six days since his NLCS Game 3 outing. 

At this point in the season, adequate rest is paramount. The fact that these two got plenty of rest means that both managers will be counting on them to pitch at least seven strong innings. Look for Carpenter to toss around 100 pitches or more, while Wilson could throw upwards of 115.

Wilson Is Due for a Strong Start

Despite his recent struggles, C.J. Wilson is still a top-tier MLB pitcher. After losing Cliff Lee last offseason, Texas counted on him to step up, and he answered the bell.

Wilson went 16-7 with a 1.19 WHIP and a 2.94 ERA. He also notched 206 strikeouts and had three complete games. He should remember how good he was in the regular season and forget about his last few playoff starts.

He hasn't had a great outing yet this postseason, already giving up 14 runs. But with rest and a red hot offense behind him, Wilson is due to deliver a strong performance.

Carpenter Is a Big-Game Pitcher

Chris Carpenter is pitching in his ninth career playoff series, and he knows what it takes to bring home the hardware.

Although he didn't shine last week against the Brewers, Carpenter is a great postseason pitcher. He was a key arm in the Cardinals' 2006 title run, highlighted by an eight-inning gem in Game 3 of the World Series.

More recently, his game five domination of Philadelphia in the NLDS is proof of his capability. He'll be challenging Ranger hitters all night with his nasty curveball and mixture of cutters, changeups and fastballs.

Both Teams Are Very Similar

Even if Carpenter and Wilson don't have brilliant showings tonight, the matchup and the game will still live up to its billing because both squads have been playing similar styles of baseball lately.

It will be nearly impossible for both pitchers to work through the game unscathed, as both teams have been swinging hot bats. But encounters such as Wilson vs. Pujols and Carpenter vs. Cruz will be fun to watch.

Fortunately, each pitcher has a great catcher to help them navigate through the order. Texas' Mike Napoli and St. Louis' Yadier Molina are both dependable backstops.

Both teams have terrific bullpens, so it will be interesting to see how Tony La Russa and Ron Washington manage their teams during the middle innings of games.

Either way, this Carpenter vs. Wilson showdown will be a treat to watch.