World Series Game Two
Betting tips 
/ Ed Wyatt / 20 October 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market
I was bullish on Texas going into this World Series, but if they don’t get a win in Game Two, I think they’re in trouble.
Ed Wyatt had a gut feeling that the Cardinals would get it done in Game One behind Chris Carpenter and they did, beating the Rangers 3-2, so it might pay to hear what he has to say about Game Two...
Carpenter has been outstanding in the post-season and threw a six-inning five-hitter before manager Tony La Russa turned it over to his bullpen, using five pitchers to finish the game off.
Carpenter is now a potential starter in Game Three.
But now it's time to turn our attention to Game Two, which pits Jaime Garcia of St. Louis against Colby Lewis of Texas. This is an interesting match-up because it has more to do with regular season form than anything else.
Garcia pitched very well at home (9-4, 2.55 ERA during the regular season), with a 3-1 record and a remarkable ERA of 2.29 in his last five starts in St. Louis. Garcia did get hit hard by the Brewers on the road in Milwaukee in two NLCS games, giving up seven runs in eight innings of work, but here he'll be back in the friendly confines of Busch Stadium. This will no doubt help offset the fact that he's relatively inexperienced in the post-season.
Lewis, on the other hand, is better on the road. He had a 9-5 record with a 3.43 ERA away from the Ballpark at Arlington during the regular season. He also has experience in the play-offs, with a stellar career record of 4-1 and an ERA of 2.37. Lewis was also the only Rangers' pitcher to win a game in last year's World Series.
So, if we say the pitching is a toss-up, then it's down to the hitting.
St. Louis came up with clutch hits when needed in Game One, as Matt Holliday and pinch hitter Allen Craig delivered the key blows. For Texas, Mike Napoli had a towering home run and Adrian Beltre had two hits, but the big-hitting trio of Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Nelson Cruz had just one hit between them.
I was bullish on Texas going into this World Series, but if they don't get a win in Game Two, I think they're in trouble. They'd be looking at a 2-0 deficit...and the possibility of facing Carpenter two more times.
I can't believe I'm still not on board with the Cardinals - they've been amazing - but at some point I think the Rangers big bats have to break through.
