That Was The Best They Had?

Yeah, I know it’s just one game. But, that one game couldn’t have been more lopsided. The Cardinals are the team that’s been in the World Series most recently. They were in the NLCS just last year. They should have been poised and ready. Instead, they looked like the nervous newbies.

This was going to be the big game for the Cards. They had their ace on the mound. A true ace. If ever there was a time for the Cardinals to steal home field away from the Sox, this was the game. Instead, the Sox knocked their ace out after five innings. The Sox starter on the other hand was Jon Lester. He asked in spring training what he needed to do in order to be considered a true ace. I’m guessing something like what he did last night. 7.2 shutout innings in game one of the World Series. Yeah. Something like that.

And it got better for the Sox from there.

The Cardinals were a good defensive team, but one of their best defenders made two errors. They make three as a team. Four if you count a terrible mental error. At times they looked like a little league team.

Even when the Cardinals tried to salvage something from a lost cause, it went bad. They brought their young lefty specialist into a 5-0 game to face David Ortiz. It was a good idea. Get the kid into a World Series game in a relatively low pressure situation. Take advantage of the circumstances to get his feet wet before you really need him. Except that the kid went and threw up in his mouth. The first pitch he threw went for a two-run home run. The first homer he’d given up against a lefty all season. Not exactly the exposure to the situation the Cardinals were looking for.

It happened again later when they brought in Martinez. Another young reliever with a live arm. Again, a good idea to get him into a low key situation. Let him get exposure, and his feet wet. He proceeds to give up a double, a wild pitch, and allows a run. Oops. That’s not thy type of thing you want to build on for the next appearance. Unless you’re the Sox.

So, the Cardinals have to throw another rookie tonight in a big spot. Sure, he’s pitched well in this postseason. And, it’s not quite a must win for the Cards. They only need to win one game in Boston. But you have to wonder what it will take to get into his head a bit. Or the rest of the team?

It reminds me a bit of ALCS game one. The Sox were supposed to be the great offensive team. But the Tigers were able to not only limit their damage, but shut them down completely. The Sox were able to overcome that disaster. It’s time for the Cardinals to see if they can do it too. Or, it’s time for the Red Sox to see what it will take to send them into a spiral they can’t get out of.

It’s time for game two.