The MLB Playoff Standings have their first team in the World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning the N.L. Pennant in Game 6 of the NLCS as Clayton Kershaw did not show up to this must-win game seeing the Dodgers crash badly. Here are the results and the two possible opponents the Cardinals could be facing and where they stand.
Simply put, Kershaw got crushed by the Cardinals. St. Louis did not want to deal with any drama, clinching Game 6 at home in front of their fans, behind their rookie right-hander, Michael Wacha. Kershaw allowed runs in only two innings, but the Cardinals put up a four spot in the third inning and a five spot in the fifth inning. Kershaw allowed seven earned runs in four innings pitched. It was a terrible outing when the Dodgers needed him the most.
The Cardinals did not hit a home run, but the smacked Kershaw around for 10 hits and 13 in the entire game. The slowly knocked the Dodgers out hit after hit, not using the long ball in this game. The Cardinals had five players with at least two hits. Carlos Beltran led the way with three, Yadier Molina, David Freese, Shane Robinson and Matt Adams a had two hits in Game 6.
Leadoff hitter, Matt Carpenter got things started in the third inning with a double and Beltran then drove in the first run of the game with a single. In reality, that was all the Dodgers needed to win the game as Wacha pitched like the true ace of this matchup.
Wacha pitched seven spiffy innings of baseball. He only allowed two hits, one walk while striking out five Dodgers. As a result, Wacha took home the 2013 NLCS MVP. Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal held the game down, combining for two innings of scoreless baseball with three strikeouts.
The Cardinals will make their second World Series appearance in the last three years. This year, unlike 2012, they closed the door on their opponent after allowing the San Francisco Giants to come back from a 1-3 deficit.
Red Sox Could Clinch
The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers meet in Game 6 of the 2013 ALCS. The Red Sox won Game 5, breaking up a 2-2 tie and now they have a chance to win the A.L. Pennant. It's Clay Buchholz versus Max Scherzer. Buchholz will have a chance to redeem himself in this game after getting rocked badly in Game 2 of the series.
Tigers' manager Jim Leyland might want to leave Scherzer in this game. The Tigers' bullpen ruined his first outing of this series as they loaded the bases and Joaquin Benoit gave up the game-tying grand slam in the bottom of the eighth in Game 2.
Game Time: 8 p.m. ET
MLB PLAYOFF STANDINGS:
Dodgers 2
Cardinals 4--- Cardinals
Tigers 2
Red Sox 3
