Kuzul

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.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Game 3 of the 2013 World Series will be played on Saturday night, and if this game is anything like we’ve seen through the first two, it should be quite a fun one to watch.

The Boston Red Sox were able to take Game 1 quite easily, winning 8-1 over the St. Louis Cardinals. Game 2 was a different story, however, as the Cardinals were able to win 4-2 thanks to a wild seventh inning.

Below is a full breakdown of Game 3, including viewing information, previewing both teams and predicting the final score.

Viewing Information

Date: Saturday, Oct. 26

Time: 8:07 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Boston Red Sox

Starting Pitcher: Jake Peavy

At 32 years old, Jake Peavy will finally be making his first career start in the World Series, but it hasn’t been the most successful postseason for the established veteran.

In his two starts during the playoffs this year, Peavy has struggled.  He’s allowed eight earned runs and 10 hits in just 8.2 innings of work, giving him an ERA of 8.31.  In his 23 starts during the regular season, Peavy wasn’t great, but he was solid with a 12-5 record and a 4.17 ERA.

Before this year, Peavy had just two career postseason starts.  Both of those starts happened to be against the Cardinals in 2005 and 2006 when he was with the San Diego Padres.  They didn’t go well, however, as he gave up a total of 13 runs.

This is a huge opportunity for Peavy to add to what has been a very successful career, but he’s going to really turn it around after giving up seven earned runs in just three innings against the Detroit Tigers in his last start.

Player to Watch: David Ortiz

When it comes to the Red Sox, there’s no player more popular than David Ortiz.

Ortiz has already come up with a home run in each of the first two games of the World Series. He’s gone 4-for-6 with five RBI, making his case for the World Series MVP award if the Red Sox can win it all.

In the playoffs, Ortiz is hitting .268 with 12 RBI and five home runs, the most of any player this postseason. He’s also been walked nine times, giving him an on-base percentage of .392.

After hitting 30 home runs and 103 RBI while hitting .309 this past season, Ortiz has had an equally impressive postseason. At 37 years old, his career is slowly starting to wind down, but if he can have another solid game or two in this series, he could be the MVP.

St. Louis Cardinals

Starting Pitcher: Joe Kelly

At just 25 years old, Joe Kelly is starting to develop nicely as a starting pitcher for the Cardinals, but he needs to step up big in Game 3.

Kelly got limited action as a starter in 2013, playing in 37 games and starting in 15 of them. When he was out there, he was solid, posting a 2.69 ERA and 124 hits in 124 innings pitched.  

In the postseason, Kelly has been an average starter, not living up to how he played in the regular season. He’s allowed nine total runs and 18 hits in 16.1 innings pitched, leaving something to be desired.

Kelly struggled limiting walks in the regular season, giving up 44, but he’s also done a good job forcing ground balls and limiting extra-base hits. If he can focus on continuing to get batters out with balls in the dirt, Kelly could have a shot to pull out the win.

Player to Watch: Carlos Beltran

The clear leader of the Cardinals stepped up in Game 2, but before the game there was fear that he wasn’t even going to be able to play.

In Game 1, Beltran was able to rob Ortiz of a grand slam, but the Cardinals likely wished he had just let it go in the loss. According to Matt Snyder of CBSSports.com, Beltran suffered a severe rib bruise on the play and was listed as day-to-day.

That didn’t stop Beltran from playing in Game 2, however. He was big in the win, going 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the seventh inning.

This postseason, Beltran is hitting .273 with two home runs and a league-leading 13 runs batted in. He’s come up with plenty of big plays in the playoffs, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the 13th inning in Game 1 of the NLCS.

The big question will be if Beltran can continue to play at a high level with the rib injury. If he can, then the Cardinals could rally behind him.

Prediction

Both starting pitchers have had their struggles, but I think that Peavy is the first one to get rattled and pulled.

Peavy has dealt with inconsistency this season, and he’s yet to have a solid outing in the postseason. Kelly has the age advantage and likely has a less tired arm.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are going to be playing in front of their home crowd for the first time in this series, and that can actually play a big role in the game.

While all eyes will be on Beltran, look for others like Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday and Allen Craig to step up in this one and give the Cardinals some much-needed runs.

Prediction: Cardinals 7, Red Sox 4

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the World Series tied at 1-1, both the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have some big questions that need answering as the series heads to Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals were able to tie up the series on Thursday night, winning 4-2 over the Red Sox despite a two-run home run from David Ortiz to put Boston up in the sixth inning.  

However, the Cardinals came right back in the seventh with a wild play that resulted in two runs being scored on a sacrifice fly and a throwing error, followed by another run off of a Carlos Beltran single.

With two games down, let’s take a look at a couple of questions each team needs to answer in order to take the World Series in 2013.

St. Louis Cardinals

Can Carlos Beltran Stay Hot With Rib Injury?

Beltran was able to rob a home run from Ortiz in Game 1, but it didn‘t matter, as the Red Sox easily won the game 8-1.

The Cardinals probably would have wished that Beltran didn‘t rob that home run.  On the play, Beltran suffered a severe rib bruise, according to Matt Snyder of CBS Sports.

As bad as the injury was, it didn‘t seem to stop Beltran from playing a big game on Thursday. He went 2-for-4 at the plate along with a run on an RBI single in the seventh inning.

During the postseason, Beltran is hitting .273 with two home runs and 13 RBI, the most by any player so far in the playoffs.

He may have had a nice game on Thursday, but the real question is if he can continue this high level of success throughout the rest of the series. A rib injury can certainly impact the way Beltran hits, and that could make a difference in the next few games.

He looked fine in Game 2, but we will have to see if he can stay hot for the rest of the series.

Will Adam Wainwright Look Like His Usual Self During Next Start?

We did not see the Adam Wainwright we were used to in Game 1.

After looking so good in his first three postseason starts, Wainwright struggled in the first game of the World Series. He lasted just five innings after allowing five hits, three earned runs and five total runs as the Cardinals went on to lose.  

Before the loss, Wainwright had allowed just four earned runs in 23 innings pitched this postseason while striking out 20 batters.

According to Anthony Gulizia from The Boston Globe, Wainwright had this to say about his performance:

I felt very out of synch tonight, unfortunately. It’s something usually I can make adjustments on the fly a lot quicker than I was able to tonight. It’s pretty disappointing to do that on this stage.

It was difficult from the first pitch on. I didn’t make it real tough on them. I threw a lot of balls out of the zone, no contest pitches, and a lot pitches up for them to hit. Kind of a perfect storm of pitching.

Everything I threw tonight was pretty garbage.

According to Deb Carson of Fox Sports Radio, the Cardinals announced that Wainwright would start on Monday in Game 5.

It’s going to be a difficult test for Wainwright, as the Red Sox easily have the best offensive team in all of baseball this year. During the regular season, they hit .277 with 853 runs scored, the most of any team in the majors.

With how good Wainwright is, he should be able to bounce back, but there are no guarantees when going up against a lineup like the one Boston has.

Boston Red Sox

Can Jake Peavy Help Boston Take Game 3 in St. Louis?

The Red Sox need to take the momentum back from the Cardinals in Game 3, but it’s not going to be easy as the series moves to Busch Stadium with Jake Peavy getting the starting nod.

Peavy dealt with an inconsistent regular season, posting a 4.17 ERA in 23 starts. In the postseason, he’s started just two games, but he’s posted an ERA of 8.31 with a .294 opposing batting average, lasting just 8.2 innings.

This is easily Peavy’s biggest game of his entire career, but he says that he’s ready. However, he’s struggled during his career in the playoffs. Before this year, his previous two playoff starts were against the Cardinals in 2005 and 2006 while he was with the San Diego Padres. In those games, he allowed a total of 13 runs.

Boston made a big decision to trade for Peavy in the middle of the season, and this is his chance to prove that he was worth it.

Can the Offense Get Hot Once Again?

We already talked about how strong this offense is as a whole, but they haven’t exactly been the same team offensively during the playoffs.

In their 12 postseason games, the Red Sox are batting just .228 with 55 runs. After averaging around 5.2 runs scored per game in the regular season, the bats have cooled down a bit in the playoffs with just 4.6 runs scored per game.

The Red Sox will have to rattle Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn in the next two games, and while both were really solid pitchers in the regular season, they’ve struggled in the playoffs. Kelly and Lynn have combined for 28 innings pitched, allowing 15 earned runs and 32 hits in six total games played.

The go-to guy to watch for has to be Ortiz in this series. He’s been hitting .268 with 12 RBI while leading all hitters with five home runs this postseason. He’s accounted for nearly one-fourth of Boston’s runs driven in, and he’s looking to cement his legacy as one of the best postseason hitters ever.

Boston certainly has an opportunity to drive in plenty of runs over the next two games, and that could completely change the series. If the Red Sox can hit like they did in the regular season, they’re going to be in great shape.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When Boston’s Craig Breslow airmailed a throw to third base in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the World Series, he allowed the decisive run to score for St. Louis. The result immediately drew the ire of Red Sox fans across the nation. Bostonians have a right to be disappointed by the play, but they should not be surprised, as costly errors by pitchers have become a consistent theme in the MLB postseason.

Indeed, Breslow could join an unfortunate fraternity of hurlers who have thrown away baseballs, and with them their teams’ title hopes. The most famous example is Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees. He threw Damian Miller’s bunt into center field in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. The error contributed to the Arizona Diamondback’s comeback and stands as one of the few blemishes on Rivera’s postseason resume.

But there have been more recent occasions that were equally important. The Cardinals have won two World Series in the past decade, but it might have been more had their pitchers been able to defend their position. Jason Marquis’ bobble of a Craig Biggio bunt in Game 4 of the 2005 NLCS allowed the winning run to score in a series the Cardinals would eventually lose to the Houston Astros.

St. Louis took a 3-1 series lead in the 2012 NLCS to the Giants, but squandered a chance to end the series at home in Game 5. The key play? Lance Lynn threw away a potential double-play ball in the fourth inning, leading to four unearned runs in a 5-0 loss. When asked about the play, a dejected Lynn could only offer, “Weird things happen,” according to ESPN.com’s Michael Knisley. The Giants won the next two games in San Francisco to advance to the Fall Classic.

Even in this year’s Series, the Cardinals were victimized in Game 1 when Adam Wainwright miscommunicated with his Gold Glove battery mate Yadier Molina and allowed a routine pop-up to drop between them. But St. Louis has also benefited from fielding ineptitude on the part of opposing pitchers. Their 2006 championship was aided by a World Series record of five errors by the Detroit Tigers pitching staff.

Finally, the 2009 Yankees waltzed into the World Series after a Game 6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the ALCS. A close game was made decidedly less so when Scott Kazmir somehow botched a seemingly un-botchable thirty-foot throw en route to a 5-2 loss.

It’s hard to be certain why pitchers continue to make such mistakes. In general, they are worse fielders than the average defensive player, logging a .961 fielding percentage in the 2013 regular season compared to .985 for all other players, according to ESPN.com. The gap is actually greater than the numerical discrepancy shows, however, since pitchers have far less difficult plays to execute than the guys playing behind them.

The low degree of difficulty might actually be the reason for the errors, though. Pitchers can get psyched out by the apparent easiness of a simple throw to a base, especially since they are so accustomed to making one throw over and over again—pitches to the plate.

Take Breslow‘s error as a case study. While many have questioned whether he should have even attempted a throw in the first place, the video replay clearly shows an opportunity for an out. Breslow himself explained, “I looked up and I saw that I definitely had a play there,” according to MLB.com.

But the moment he picked up the loose ball behind home plate, an error was imminent. Instead of making a quick throw to third base, he inexplicably took a big crow hop, as if firing to home from the outfield. By the time he actually released the ball, the runner Jon Jay was almost at the base and Breslow had been overthinking the throw for a few seconds. His error was almost predictable.

Baseball fans should keep an eye on pitchers’ fielding abilities as the World Series shifts to St. Louis. It’s typical for pundits and forecasters to size up a playoff matchup by examining the teams’ more obvious assets: the back end of the bullpen, the middle of the lineup, and so on.

But when two teams are as evenly matched as the 2013 Red Sox and Cardinals, it may come down to which team’s pitchers can execute routine throws, especially if history serves an any indication.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the World Series all tied up at one game apiece and with the series heading to St. Louis, Game 3 will be a pivotal moment. Each team is looking to pick up a lot of momentum with a win.

There are a number of players that each team will be counting on to step up and deliver a strong performance on baseball’s biggest stage.

Each team has multiple keys to winning this game and whichever team has those important players perform best will be the one that walks away with the victory.

Begin Slideshow

The first two games of the 2013 World Series have been headlined by leather.

The poor throws in the late innings of Game 2 by the Boston Red Sox evened the Series one day after a litany of errors and misplays by the St. Louis Cardinals left them trailing after Game 1—which, of course, also featured the headline-grabbing controversy surrounding the alleged foreign substance on Jon Lester‘s glove.

And so as the scene shifts to St. Louis for Games 3, 4 and 5, there’s still plenty of chatter and speculation surrounding Lester’s leather and just what exactly was on it.

You’ve no doubt seen, heard and read all about this by now. It’s been made into a story so big that it might only be rivaled in size by the very “giant booger” that Lester called the green blotchy substance on the top portion of his glove’s thumb.

There’s been all sorts of back-and-forth on this topic, but Lester denied any subterfuge and more or less waved off the issue off when he addressed it with the media the day after his Game 1 gem, saying, via Alex Speier of WEEI.com:

I know that not once have I cheated. The picture does look bad. But it’s rosin. That’s all I can really comment on with it. It’s rosin. And my next start, in Game 5, I’ll go out there and do the exact same thing and hopefully have the same outcome of the game.

Speaking of Monday’s Game 5, which is sure to be preceded by all of the scrutiny and nonstop reminders we can handle, how will all of that impact Lester’s performance?

For one thing, the umpires will probably be keeping a close eye on the left-hander’s glove. That’s a given. If that was Cardinals prospect Tyler Melling’s intent when he dropped the tweet heard ’round the World Series, mission accomplished.

Let’s also recognize that this story blew up so much and so quickly because Lester pitched so well, hurling 7.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Does Melling’s tweet even happen if Lester pitches less effectively?

But as fellow MLB Lead Writer Zach Rymer pointed out in the wake of Game 1, there’s no evidence that Lester was getting any sort of help or boost or extra movement from the substance, whatever it was.

Not that Lester would have needed it anyway. Performing well in October is nothing new for him. In case you hadn’t noticed, the 29-year-old tends to do pretty darn well in the postseason, as he’s proved throughout his career. Entering this Fall Classic, Lester had allowed only six earned runs on 16 hits in 19.3 innings this month.

In his playoff career, Lester is sporting a 2.22 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 8.0 K/9 in 69 innings over 12 outings.

If nothing else, that shows Lester is capable of excelling against the best players in the game during the most intense, dramatic, high-leverage games he’s ever pitched in. To think that this “non-troversy,” as Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports dubbed it, is going to suddenly make Lester lose focus or distract him from his goal of winning a World Series game is just a tad silly.

Besides, the Red Sox are dealing with a more pressing distraction. That would be the status of Clay Buchholz, who is in line to start Sunday’s Game 4—at least for now.

The right-hander, who was Boston’s best pitcher early this year but lost three months to injury, is once again dealing with health issues that have him at well below 100 percent. His velocity has been down since he returned in September, per Brooks Baseball, and his 5.40 ERA through three playoff starts indicates he’s not close to the pitcher he was through the season’s first few months, when he had a 1.71 ERA prior to hitting the disabled list.

Now he’s battling shoulder soreness, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, and he may have “hit the wall” as manager John Farrell suggested.

“I’ve got maybe one start left,” Buchholz said. “I haven’t been 100 percent in a long time now.”

(Ironically enough, Buchholz had his very own alleged ball-doctoring incident back in May.)

Whether or not the Red Sox can count on Buchholz in Game 4—or will have to turn instead to left-hander Felix Doubront, who was relegated to long-man status at the outset of October—is a real and potentially more damaging problem than whether Lester will be bothered by Glovegate.

Fact is, Lester will pitch Game 5 and be ready to go. As for Buchholz and his ability to handle Game 4? That’s a legitimate concern for Boston.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of scrutiny on Lester’s leather the next time he toes the rubber, particularly because he’ll be on the road in St. Louis. He’s not going to be able to ignore all of the hubbub between now and when he steps on the mound Monday. But it’s not like that will affect how he pitches or cause him to fall apart, either.

While Lester is a fiery, competitive, heart-on-his-sleever, he’s also a major leaguer pitching in what potentially could be a clinching or do-or-die World Series game. One imagines he’ll have his priorities straight.

And it’s not like Lester hasn’t endured years and years of questions and criticisms—the chicken-and-beer fallout from Boston’s 2011 collapse comes to mind—while playing in one of the most intense media markets for the past eight years. Plus, he’s faced his fair share of life obstacles, too, having beaten lymphoma back in 2006.

Some extra scrutiny based on a little Gak on his glove isn’t going to be the most attention or the biggest challenge Lester has ever faced.

The toughest part about all of this for Lester is the timing. On Monday, he will be making his final start of 2013 on baseball’s biggest stage with a championship hanging in the balance. It’ll be up to Lester to perform under that spotlight like he’s done so many times before. Only this time it might be a little brighter than normal in Game 5.

Until then, though, expect leather to remain a fashionable topic this fall.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the St. Louis Cardinals only three wins away from the 2013 World Series title, the team and its fans would obviously be disappointed if this October run ended without a championship.

Regardless of the series outcome, however, the franchise’s future is bright. That’s largely because it has dominant rookie pitchers under control for years to come, and specifically, two bullpen arms who have excelled on the big stage: Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal.

For those of you who slept through/inexplicably chose not to watch Game 2, a 4-2 Cards victory that evened the Fall Classic at 1-1, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports revisits the penultimate inning of it:

Eighth inning, runner on first with two outs, the left-handed hitting Ortiz set to face the right-handed Martinez. The by-the-book move would have been to summon veteran lefty Randy Choate for the platoon advantage, but Matheny stuck with Martinez, who threw 96 to 98 mph and got two of his three strikeouts on breaking balls.

And MLB.com presents the ninth:

Their combination of triple-digit heat, 1990s birth dates and recent success has the baseball world buzzing:

Rosenthal, Martinez throw heat, breathe fire out of #STLCards bullpen. http://t.co/JPCMksm6TN

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) October 25, 2013

Back in NJ, afternoon run along the Hudson… Still marveling at how strong #STLcards Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal looked in game 2.

— Dan Plesac (@Plesac19) October 25, 2013

Its pretty clear if the Cardinals have a lead after 7 they are in great hands w/young arms like Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal in the pen

— Isaac Rodriguez (@isaacfromCT) October 25, 2013

Does the narrative of a pennant winner with standout rookie relief sound familiar to you? It should.

However, we’ve seldom seen performance of this caliber from major league newbies, much less two such pitchers on the same roster.

Here’s how Martinez and Rosenthal stack up against other 21st-century examples of first-year pitchers who were trusted with high-leverage postseason innings:

To be fair, Rosenthal also pitched in the 2012 playoffs when the Cardinals advanced to the NLCS. Because of his limited service time during that regular season, he retained rookie eligibility for another year. Combining his two October experiences, the 23-year-old has pitched 16.2 scoreless innings.

That shouldn’t take anything away from what he and Martinez have been accomplishing.

The past two Cardinals opponents, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, were both significantly more productive off right-handed pitching this season. You wouldn’t know it from their recent impotence against this pair. Those offenses have generated a .119 batting average and only one run in 13.2 innings with them on the mound.

Stuff-wise, Francisco Rodriguez and Joel Zumaya used to be electrifying; Hideki Okajima and Adam Wainwright demonstrated awesome command. With that said, Martinez and Rosenthal exceed them all with their ability to combine power and precision.

The question on the mind of every St. Louis fan is whether either of these promising flamethrowers can follow in Wainwright’s footsteps. He has blossomed into the club’s rotation ace. Waino is likely to finish top three in NL Cy Young Award voting for the third time following a summer in which he led the Senior Circuit in innings pitched.

Martinez’s size—6’0″, 185 pounds—may prevent him from completing that transition. The Dominican native possesses a plus curveball to complement his fantastic fastball, but his 106 innings pitched this year is already the highest total of his professional career. There’s understandably some doubt about his body holding up for 30-plus starts.

Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Bernie Pleskoff is of the opinion that Rosenthal should eventually make the leap. His changeup is more refined and his thicker frame dispels any durability concerns.

Regardless of which roles they occupy in 2014 and beyond, the Cardinals should expect effectiveness and a high probability of contending for future champagne celebrations. 

Ely is a national MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a sportscaster for 90.5 WVUM in Miami. He’s hoping to deepen relationships with his fantastic online audience (that means you) via Twitter.

Follow @MrElyminator

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The World Series is going to be tight. Both the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are talented but flawed teams. They match up well at nearly every position, which means things like execution and fundamentals could be key.

In Game 2, one play appeared more Little League than major league, allowing a couple of runs that could have been the difference in the game.

In tight matchups such as this one, injuries can be amplified and one to a star like Carlos Beltran can be a game-changer.

However, Beltran’s injury doesn’t appear to be affecting him on the field. The treatment he’s received, his own struggles with previous injuries and a secret weapon might just make Beltran a game-changer in the positive sense.

Beltran injured his ribs running into the outfield wall at Fenway. That wall is iconic, once known as Williamsburg due to how many balls Ted Williams put into it. With that said, the odd angle, short warning track and height make it a unique challenge for right fielders.

In the ALCS, we saw Torii Hunter go up and over. The difference? While their heights are only one inch apart, Hunter has longer legs and was more extended, raising his center of gravity. The difference does explain why Beltran was injured while Hunter was only a bit bruised.

Looking at those pictures would make one think there’s much more than a one-inch height differential between the two.

The momentum of their runs manifested themselves differently.

Hunter’s head of steam took him over the wall, with some of it dissipated by the pinwheel action and some by catching himself on the other side. Almost all of the force went directly into Beltran’s ribs. The total force isn’t known, but it’s reasonable to assume they were moving at similar speeds. 

The ribs are a complex structure. It’s not as simple as a bone issue, even in the case of a fracture, like with Hanley Ramirez in the NLCS. The ribs are interconnected, with both cartilage and muscles in between each and a unique movement that allows for breathing—breathing is good.

It’s exceptionally efficient at protecting the internal organs, as evidenced by both Ramirez and Beltran. Neither has injuries to his spleen or liver, which would be worse than a painful rib issue.

Pain management is difficult because of the function and nature of baseball.

A painkilling injection is difficult because of the complexity of the structure and the enervation. A general painkiller is unthinkable. It’s difficult enough to turn on a 90 mph fastball. Forget it after someone’s popped a couple of Vicodins, let alone the worries about reaction time if one of those fastballs come at his head.

Beltran has experience playing through pain and dealing with limitations. His well-chronicled struggles with a damaged and deteriorating knee have given him experience with this kind of situation. He understands the difference between soreness and pain.

He also clearly has a high pain tolerance, given the damage inside his knee that almost necessitated career-threatening surgery.

Beltran will have the most issues with rotational activities. The problem there is that almost everything in baseball is rotational. Swinging a bat or throwing a ball, two things the Cards need from Beltran, are precisely the kind of activities that will tax him and test his pain tolerance.

The benefit for him might be the gap between these activities. A long at-bat with several fouls or swing-and-miss attempts will likely be the biggest test for Beltran. 

During Game 2, it was apparent that Beltran was wearing some sort of flak jacket under his uniform. Fox Sports’ Tim McCarver noted that it was “kevlar” early in the telecast.

I was able to confirm with multiple sources that Beltran is wearing a garment from Unequal Technologies. Beltran has a high level of protection from another collision or a ball to the ribs. If you’re wondering how effective this type of material is, check the video to the right.

Beltran showed with his Game 2 performance that he can be productive through the injury.

While he does have his limitations, adjustments and accommodations are easy. Getting back to St. Louis will help as well. Beltran is much more comfortable with that park, where the walls are not likely to induce issues and the Cardinals’ medical staff has all of its equipment and facilities.

The toughest game for Beltran was always going to be Game 2. Getting through that without any apparent issue makes it much likelier that he will make it through subsequent games. The bruising and inflammation should subside as well, with both time and treatment, making it possible that he won’t need the kevlar later in the series.

Look for Beltran to continue on with no major difficulties as the Cardinals fight to gain another World Series title.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2013 World Series is all knotted up after the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals split the first two games. With the series now shifting to St. Louis, both teams are in desperation mode, as a 1-1 series signals the opportunity for momentum to be won in Game 3.

The question is, which players are under the most pressure to lead their teams as the World Series progresses?

It’s difficult to place too much blame on individual players, but neither team is without the presence of players who must step up. Both squads have received underwhelming production from some of their top stars, and as the series moves forward, said athletes must step up.

It all starts with the pitchers.

The question is, who are the players that will be under the most pressure?

Craig Breslow, Boston Red Sox

During Game 2, no individual player experienced as much of the blame for Boston’s loss as reliever Craig Breslow. He entered the game with two batters on base, but star John Lackey had been masterful, and a series of poor pitches and errant throws led to St. Louis’ win.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox fans hoping to bench the 33-year-old, there’s one fact that they can’t ignore: Boston needs Breslow in this series.

According to ESPN, the Cardinals hit .238 against left-handed pitchers during the 2013 regular season. There are specific players on the team who hit lefties well, but for the most part, the Cardinals were rendered helpless against southpaws.

For Boston, Breslow and Franklin Morales are the only left-handed relievers on its World Series roster.

Breslow will see action again, and more likely than not, he’ll be used sooner rather than later. Once he enters the game, Breslow will need to settle down, leave the fielding to the position players and shut down the opposing hitters.

If he can’t, the Bo Sox will only have one left-handed reliever to believe in. That’s no slight on Morales, but he does have a 6.75 ERA during the playoffs.

Breslow needs to put a disastrous Game 2 behind him as soon as possible.

Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

During the 2013 regular season, Cardinals second baseman Matt Carpenter led the MLB in hits, doubles and runs scored. During Game 2, Carpenter came up with a key sacrifice fly that drove in the RBI that ended up tying the game.

Unfortunately, Carpenter has been downright horrendous as a hitter during the postseason. This all comes just one month after a legendary season.

It’s been as bad in the playoffs as it was great during the regular season.

Thus far, Carpenter has hit .160 with a .228 on-base percentage and a .240 slugging percentage. He has eight hits in 50 at-bats, four walks and three RBI, which has been a major reason the Cardinals have struggled to hit as a team.

As it presently stands, St. Louis is hitting .210 as a squad.

Carpenter was one of the rare Cardinals players to hit well against lefties, going .294 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 197 at-bats. Going up against a Red Sox rotation that will start Jon Lester again, it’s imperative that Carpenter gets his bat going quick.

If he doesn’t, the Cardinals’ momentum won in Game 2 will quickly dissipate.

Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are a team that grinds out at-bats and turns to its pitching staff to shut down opposing lineups. Entering the postseason, the one player that Boston could label as a regular season ace was right-handed pitcher Clay Buchholz.

During the postseason, he just hasn’t been the same player.

Buchholz was 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 96 strikeouts in 16 games started. Buchholz threw 108.1 innings in those appearances, 101.8 pitches per contest and absolutely dominated every opponent that he came across with world-class precision.

In the 2013 playoffs, Buchollz has been playing like its 2012.

Buchholz has made three postseason starts in 2013, going 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. He’s struggled with his command, has allowed key runs during close games and is displaying signs of fatigue that should concern every Red Sox fan.

Buchholz has been prone to injuries, and thus far, it doesn’t look like he’s made a full recovery.

Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals

During Game 4 of the World Series, the Cardinals will trust Lance Lynn to take the mound and lead St. Louis to a home win. Lynn was 15-10 with a 3.97 ERA, but during the past two postseasons, Lynn has an ERA of 5.56 in nine appearances and four starts.

The pressure is mounting.

Lynn will go toe-to-toe with Buchholz, which presents the opportunity for one struggling star pitcher to recover. Both men are All-Stars, but in Lynn’s case, masterful first halves of the 2012 and 2013 seasons seem to be a distant memory.

Two straight years of hot starts and slow finishes marks a player who deserves to be labeled as inconsistent.

Lynn allowed five runs in 4.1 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates but has allowed two runs over his past 7.1 innings. He’s certainly settled down, but the big picture isn’t easy to overlook for a pitcher who has struggled on the grandest stage.

Going up against a pitcher, Buchholz, who is due for redemption, this will be a dangerous game for Lynn to play in.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are tied at one game apiece in the 2013 World Series, and Game 3 should be fantastic.

The Sox took the first game in dominant fashion, but the Cardinals showed resiliency in taking Game 2 in Boston.

What are the keys going forward for both teams? What does each team need to do to win the series?

Read on to find out.

Boston Red Sox

Someone other than David Ortiz needs to produce consistently.

They got good production in Game 1, especially from Mike Napoli and, of course, Ortiz.

But the bats went silent a bit, and Ortiz had the only RBI in Game 2. In fact, there were just total four hits by the Red Sox.

Even though the Sox are in the World Series, they struggled mightily at the plate in the ALCS. Remember, this is a team that just escaped a no-hitter against Detroit.

So it can’t be all on Ortiz to continue to come up with big hits. We know he’s going to do his thing, but if his offense is supplemented by guys like Jacoby Ellsbury, Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes, the Sox should be fine.

The starters and the ‘pen, for the most part, have been on point. Koji Uehara has been terrific all postseason, allowing just one run in 10 innings of work.

To win this series, it has to be on the offense. Ortiz will continue to hit, and it’s likely that he will produce another magical moment. But he can’t do it alone. They need contributions from the bottom half of the lineup. Stephen Drew has one hit. Xander Bogaerts doesn’t have a hit. In the series so far, it’s really just been Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia leading the way.

This is a talented team, so I expected it to break out of its doldrums. But there isn’t too much time left. The Red Sox need to steal preferably two games in St. Louis. They won’t do it if the offense struggles.

St. Louis Cardinals

Like the Sox, the Cards need to find their hitting stroke.

Other than Carlos Beltran, who has been fantastic all postseason and is probably first in line to win the MVP should the Cardinals win, there is no dominant offensive force.

Matt Holliday has been decent, but like the Red Sox, the Cardinals can’t rely on simply Beltran.

While they did bounce back in Game 2, the Cardinals were uncharacteristically sloppy in Game 1. Three errors? By the Cardinals? Yeah, it doesn’t seem right, and it’s fair to wonder whether or not it will happen again. Did the pressure get to them? Or did they happen to have a bad game at the worst time?

It’s tough to say, and the Cards deserve the benefit of the doubt given their track record. But they spoiled a game started by their ace, and by the time they get back around to Adam Wainwright it may be too late. 

I really think that someone like Allen Craig, David Freese or Yadier Molina needs to step it up. Beltran has been terrific, but he can’t do it alone.

The Cardinals have proven that they can beat just about anyone. They have experience and incredible poise, and have gotten some great performances, particularly from Michael Wacha, who may be the next great pitcher in baseball. But, as it always does, baseball comes down to fundamentals. Game 1 was a disaster, but you do have to give them credit for fighting back in Game 2.

If the pitching holds up and the fielding stays sane, then it’s up to Holliday and company to help Beltran out. If they can, there’s no reason why they won’t win.

But if Beltran is the only one producing, the series might be over pretty quick.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com