MLB’s postponement of game six of the World Series could prove to be the moment during the series that completely changes things, even more so than “bullpen phone-gate,” Derek Holland’s masterful game four appearance or Mike Napoli’s great series.
The postponement, which now seems like it was overkill on the part of Major League Baseball, could wind up having a massive positive effect on the St. Louis Cardinals, down 2-3, and massive negative effect on the Texas Rangers, who on Monday night seemed on the verge of their first ever franchise title.
The postponement of game six due to rainy weather in St. Louis could halt the momentum the Rangers had going in Arlington that might have traveled with them back to St. Louis. The extra day off might help to cool off some of that good jive the Rangers had going for them. It’s a decent concern, but it’s definitely the least concern of them all.
The biggest concerns have to do with the possibility of a game seven, which is why the Rangers better hope their little hot streak of winning two games in a row, the first team to do so in this series, doesn’t cool off.
Of course, all of which I’m about to discuss is irrelevant if game six starter Colby Lewis and the rest of the Rangers can go out there tonight and beat Jaime Garcia and the Cardinals. For their sake the Rangers really need to win this game, because if they don’t I’m pretty confident the series goes back into the upper hand of the Cardinals.
There are two reasons why I think the Cardinals have the advantage if the series goes to game seven, and neither of them have anything to do with home-field advantage.
The first reason is that the rain out on Wednesday gives the Cardinals the opportunity, and one I think they’d definitely take advantage of, of pitching former Cy Young winner and ace Chris Carpenter in game seven on three days rest. Now, you never know exactly what you are going to get with a pitcher, even one as great as Carpenter, on three days rest and historically it hasn’t been very successful, but I think a Chris Carpenter on three days rest beats Kyle Lohse, the original intended game seven starter, on full rest. Carpenter is a bulldog and one tough competitor and I think he’d come out for game seven in similar fashion to his game five dominant performance over Roy Halladay and the MLB’s best Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. The rain out on Wednesday really sets up the perfect game seven possibility for the Cardinals on Friday if they can get through game six alive.
The second reason that I think the Cardinals would have the upper hand if the series goes the full seven games actually has more to do with Rangers manager Ron Washington’s stubbornness than the rain postponement, though because of the postponement Washington had the perfect opportunity to make what I think would be a better decision if the series goes seven games. The postponement means that Derek Holland, who pitched so brilliantly (really all time great) in game four on Sunday, would be available on Friday for game seven on complete rest. It’s a situation that should prove ideal for the Rangers, but Washington won’t budge on Matt Harrison, whom he’s always said from the start would start game seven. Harrison certainly isn’t a bad choice to start any game, but Holland’s simply been better the second half of the season and was worlds better earlier in the series. While Holland pitched 8.1 scoreless innings of two-hit ball in game four, Harrison only went 3.2 innings in game two giving up five runs. If I were the Rangers skipper this would be a no brainer decision for me … I’d be giving Holland the ball.
Baseball is the sport where a decision by a coach/manager probably means more than in any other sport. I think the combination of luck in the Cardinals being able to throw Carpenter in game seven and the decision Washington is seemingly going to make could really alter this series and have us thinking and talking about it for a long time.
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