The first two games of the 2013 World Series have been like night and day, with the Boston Red Sox taking Game 1 and the St. Louis Cardinals taking Game 2.
The Red Sox won 8-1 in the first game of the series, getting to Adam Wainwright early and often. In Game 2, the Cardinals were able to make the most of a key seventh inning, scoring three total runs in the 4-2 win.
With the series tied at 1-1, we are getting at least three more games in the World Series. Let’s take a look at the remaining schedule followed by a pitching preview of the three games in St. Louis.
Note: Probable pitching matchups are provided by CBSSports.com.
Game 3
Jake Peavy vs. Joe Kelly
At 32 years old, Jake Peavy is finally making his first career start in the World Series, but the playoffs have not been kind to him in his limited postseason appearances.
In the two games Peavy has started in the playoffs, he’s had an ERA of 8.31, and opposing batters have been hitting .294 against him. Before this season, his previous two playoff appearances came in 2005 and 2006 against the Cardinals while he was a member of the San Diego Padres. In those two starts, he got rocked for a total of 13 runs.
Joe Kelly will take the mound for Boston, and he hasn’t looked the same in the playoffs. He was terrific in the regular season, posting a 2.69 ERA with 124 innings pitched in the 37 games he played in.
In the playoffs, Kelly has struggled. He hasn’t lasted longer than six innings, allowing eight earned runs and 18 hits in 16.1 innings pitched.
Both pitchers have had their struggles in the playoffs, which means that this matchup has the opportunity to be a high-scoring affair, likely giving Boston an advantage with their impressive offense.
Game 4
Clay Buchholz vs. Lance Lynn
After finally being able to return to the Red Sox, Clay Buchholz was huge for Boston in the regular season. He only started in 16 games, but he was terrific in those, going 12-1 with just a 1.74 ERA and a WHIP of just 1.02.
The playoffs have been a completely different story. In his first three starts, Buchholz has given up 10 earned runs and 19 hits, giving him a 5.40 ERA. He’s had 15 strikeouts, but when batters have made contact, they’ve made it count.
For the Cardinals, Lance Lynn hasn’t been much better this postseason. He wasn’t a top-tier pitcher in the regular season, but he did post a 3.97 ERA and had 15 wins.
In the playoffs, Lynn has taken a step back. He’s also had a 5.40 ERA, starting two games and appearing in relief in another. In the two games he started, he allowed seven runs while allowing 13 hits and six walks in 9.2 innings of work.
Much like Game 3, both of these starting pitchers are struggling, and we could see runs scored in bunches once again.
Game 5
Jon Lester vs. Adam Wainwright
We will most likely see the first pitching rematch of the World Series in Game 5, as Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright will go at it once again.
Lester got the win in Game 1 with an impressive performance. He went 7.2 innings in the game, allowing just five hits and zero runs while striking out eight batters. He’s only given up five total runs in four starts this postseason, giving him a 1.67 ERA.
For Wainwright, he had his first bad outing of the playoffs in Game 1. He allowed three earned runs and six hits in just five innings. Before that game, he had allowed just four earned runs and struck out 20 batters in 23 innings pitched.
Wainwright should be able to turn things around. He has a deadly arsenal of pitches, especially his curveball. According to FanGraphs.com, Wainwright’s curve had the second-highest pitch value in the majors at 17.1. A.J. Burnett’s breaking ball had the highest value at 20.0. Wainwright discussed his struggles after Game 1.
This is going to be a big game in the series, especially if one of the teams is able to win both Game 3 and Game 4. There’s a chance that this will be a series-clinching game, but even if it’s not, it’s going to be a very critical matchup between two great pitchers.
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