The San Francisco Giants face the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the NLCS on Monday night. It will be do or die for both teams as there literally will not be a tomorrow for the loser, only the 2013 season. With Kyle Lohse on the mound it is difficult to see the Cardinals losing today.
Lohse has made three starts for the Cardinals in the 2012 postseason. He helped them win the one-game playoff against the Atlanta Braves. Then he pitched almost perfect baseball against the Washington Nationals in a no-decision. Then finally, he started Game 3 and gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead in the series.
His cumulative numbers over his three starts: 18.1 IP, 15 H, 4 ER, 7 BB and 13 Ks. Lohse has surrendered two home runs in his three starts.
More impressive is that two of these three starts came on the road.
The biggest question mark for Lohse is his control as he walked five hitters in his Game 3 outing.
Lohse has been unhittable and the Giants have not gotten Matt Cain any run support while he's on the mound for them.
Cain has not pitched horribly, but for the ace of a staff his inability to go deep into games have crippled the Giants throughout the playoffs.
He has given up three runs in each of his three playoff starts. The one game the Giants one behind Cain was Game 5 against the Cincinnati Reds and they barely held on.
Thanks to a grand slam by Buster Posey, the Giants went on to win Game 5 advancing to the NLCS.
Posey has been struggling. Cain will have to pitch better if he wants to get his Giants into the World Series again.
Score Prediction: This one is for all the marbles. Lohse has been clutch all playoff long for the Cardinals and I do not see this game going any different for the ace.
Final score will be 4-2 Cardinals.
