Neither the Washington Nationals or St. Louis Cardinals was supposed to be here, but they kept pushing and never game up during the division series. Each trailed 2-1 against better teams, but neither would succumb to the pressure of the circumstances. The Nationals pitchers fired eight straight scoreless innings against the Dodgers to allow themselves enough time to tack on the runs they needed in Game 5. And then Howie Kendrick decided that it was time for the biggest grand slam in franchise history. And here the Nats are.
For the Cardinals, who only clinched their division on the final day of the regular season, it has got to feel surreal that they are four wins away from the World Series. Adam Duvall won both games for Atlanta with late hits, and for the Cardinals, it was a late rally at home in Game 4, with a Yadier Molina sacrifice fly sending them to Game 5. And then they did what no team in MLB postseason history has done before, scoring 10 runs in the first inning in Game 5. And now here they are, after the 13-1 win on Wednesday.
The moneyline on the Nationals for Game 1 sits at +100, while it is -120 for St. Louis. The over/under is at eight runs.
Nats Looking For First NLCS Win
Well, the group of guys with no quit in them will have their season continue for another series. They took down the two-time reigning NL champs with a wild road win, and the fun will be continuing. They have something truly special in 20-year-old Juan Soto, and the man batting in front of him, Anthony Rendon, has truly developed into a two-way baseball superstar. These two made all the difference for their squad, including home runs off consecutive pitches going up against Clayton Kershaw in Game 5.
Anibal Sanchez will get the ball for the Nationals in Game 1. In his lone start against the Dodgers, the veteran struck out nine batters with two walks over five innings. He allowed four hits, with the only run he gave up being a solo HR.
Cardinals Want Another World Series Trip
Getting to the big dance has been no issue for the Cardinals over the last two decades. And with Mike Shildt at the helm, they will be hoping to do it again. He has done a very nice job since taking over for Mike Matheny late last year. They are here through persistence and veteran leadership. The likes of Adam Wainwright, Molina and Matt Carpenter have been around for a long time, and all of their experiences play a key role in forming the voice of the team.
Miles Mikolas made two appearances against Atlanta, one as a starter and one as a reliever. In six innings of work, he allowed just one run on three hits, striking out two and also walking two.
Road Warriors Take Game 1
Make sure to bet on the Nationals as they will take Game 1 in STL! This is going to be an incredibly exciting series.
Free Play: WSH +100
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.