MLB World Series 2011: Texas Rangers Guaranteed to Sweep the St. Louis Cardinals

The Texas Rangers have the best offense in the 2011 post season. It’s the reason why they will cruise through this World Series against the National League Champion, St. Louis Cardinals.  

Last year, the Rangers almost faced the same fate that their opposition will face this year, in getting swept. Against the NL Champions last year, the San Francisco Giants, they fell behind big in the first two games in San Francisco, losing both, taking an 0-2 deficit back to Texas.  

That is why this year, starting the World Series on the road again, the Rangers will make up for the mistakes they made against the Giants.  

As Game 1 opens tonight in St. Louis, the Rangers have to open this series in a big way. They have to get their bats going against St. Louis’ “ace” of their staff, Chris Carpenter.  

During the regular season, the Cardinals’ pitching staff was average at best. They ranked 12th in ERA (3.74), 15th in quality starts (86), and 15th in WHIP (1.31).  

During their first series against Philadelphia, the Cardinals had an average starting pitching against the NL East division champions. 

After the win against Philadelphia, in St. Louis’ NL Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis pitching staff was not that good.  

In their series against the Brewers, they gave up run totals of nine, four (both games losses) and in their series-clinching win, six. 

Coming into tonight’s Game 1, St. Louis has a team ERA of 4.18, with one complete game shut out, where they shut down the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the Division Series.  

This subpar pitching from the Cardinals is going to get eaten alive from a Texas Rangers ball club, that did a great job getting through two very good American League pitching rotations in the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers.  

With the Rangers winning Game 1 tonight, it not only takes away home field advantage from the Cardinals, but it also takes away the advantage of the Rangers having to use their pitcher in the batting order.  

Luckily for the Rangers they do not have a big-hitting designated hitter that has to be taken out of the lineup because of the no DH rule in the NL.  

However, unfortunately for the Cardinals, when the Rangers take a 2-0 series lead back home to Arlington, they will have to play catch up in a park where Texas is 4-1 this postseason. 

Texas Rangers fans, get ready, because you are about to have your first World Series Championship in four games. 

Twitter: @tjmcaloon