The Giants and Cardinals are not necessarily thinking rematch with this NLCS. Their last time facing one another was two years ago as the Giants got the win over St. Louis. However, both rosters look very different than that series, giving everyone a fresh start this year to move on to the World Series.
The Giants will put Madison Bumgarner on the mound who pitched one of the best seasons in the NL outside of Clayton Kershaw. He put up 18 wins this season before knocking out Pittsburgh in the wild card game. In two postseason starts, he has a 1.13 ERA while also batting .258 with four home runs. The Cardinals have hit well off lefties this season which could be an issue for Bumgarner.
Now the two teams meet back up as St. Louis as home-field advantage could work in their favor. Adam Wainwright will get things doing on the mound as the Cardinals intend to maintain the same pitching rotation for the NLCS. Lance Lynn, John Lackey and Shelby Miller will follow. Wainwright struggled a bit against the Dodgers after a 20-win season for the second straight season. The concern with Wainwright is the status of his elbow. The pitcher re-aggravated an injury against the Dodgers, but he stresses he is 100 percent healthy to play.
Thanks to the batts of Berry Zito and Marco Scutaro, the San Francisco Giants swept the Cardinals in three games. The sweep was only the start for the Giants. The team then went on to sweep the Detroit Tigers to hoist the trophy as World Series champions. In the NLCS matchup, they outscored the Cardinals 20-1 in those three games which only carried their offensive momentum further.
The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have plenty of postseason experience. The Cardinals are aiming to earn their second straight World Series while the Giants are hoping to get their third World Series win in just a handful of years. Both teams have appeared more balanced as the postseason continues and are ready for a rematch of the NL Championship Series two years ago.
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