FanPost

Hello? Is there any offense out there?




If last night told us anything it was

1. Regardless of the circumstances and how you feel about it, Puig has an amazing bat-flip and

2. The Cardinal offense is in a little rut.

Some of this may have to do with facing excellent starting pitching in the NLDS and it didn't get any better for the NLCS. Fortunately, they were able to count on steady, young pitching and timely hitting.

Last night, the starting pitching was also good, but the hitting... less timely. We were settled in for yet another pitching duel but trouble started brewing for Wainwright in the fourth after a mental error by Jay in center field let a flyball turn into a double. This mistake was then compounded by an Adrian Gonzalez double, giving the Dodgers a 1 run lead. After a ground out, Yasiel Puig launched a ball into right field that he thought was going out, thus prompting the bat flip heard round the world. The ball was not out, however, and with a little help from a Beltran misplay Puig was able to turn on the after-burners to end up with a measly standing triple. Word on the street is he got to third base in under 7 seconds. Not bad.

The Dodgers tacked on another run later in the game, but it turns out they would only need one. The Dodgers won the game 3-0 and gained some ground in the series, giving Waino his first postseason loss. The Cardinals lead the series 2 - 1.

Tonight the Redbirds will face the former Marlin, Ricky Nolasco. Ricky won 13 games in the regular season with a 3.70 ERA. After having, for the most part, a career best year, Nolasco has yet to pitch this postseason. Taking the mound for the Cardinals is Lance Lynn. Lynn is a 15 game winner with a 3.97 ERA. His previous postseason start was a bit shaky and sweaty, but in Game 1 of the series, Lynn was not scored upon in 2 innings of relief, getting the win. This looks to be the tightest pitching match-up of the series, and a pivotal one. The Cardinals need to keep the pressure on the Dodgers and the offense is more than just due.

They are 'do'.

LINKS:

Game 3 Moments

Yesterday was Bartman day!

Playoff Beltran and Ortiz

Building a playoff rotation