St Louis Cardinals vs Boston Red Sox

Batting

Both teams led their respective leagues in runs scored. Both have shown this postseason that they can handle this stage. But which side holds the edge in hitting?

The Red Sox got here on the back of late, clutch hitting. David Ortiz struggled through the Detroit series, but hit that crucial grand slam in game 2. He gets the support of speedsters Shane Victorino and Jacoby Ellsbury, and some power hitting from Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes. By the numbers, this is the best offence in baseball.

For the Cardinals, Carlos Beltran is the best postseason hitter in history according to the stats. Yet this will be the 36 year olds first World Series. We know how amazing Beltran is, but he has a handy support crew, in David Freese (2011 WS MVP), Allen Craig (one of the best in the business with runners in scoring position), and a trio of Matts – Carpenter, Holliday and Adams. But their lineup isn’t air tight. They have a few weaknesses (Kozma is not a good hitter at all), and their bench lacks the depth of Boston’s.

Edge: Boston Red Sox

Starting Pitching

Perhaps the story of this postseason has been the emergence of Michael Wacha as an elite starter for St Louis (as if they need another one!). He only pitched in 9 games during this his rookie season (coming within 1 out of a no-no in his last game of the regular season), but suddenly leapt to another level in the playoffs. In his last four starts, he’s given up just a single, measly run in 30 innings, striking out 31 and walking only 6. Add him to a rotation that already include Adam Wainwright, who is among the top 5 starters in baseball, and you have two guys better than anyone in Boston. Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly complete the Cards rotation.

The Red Sox starters aren’t as glamorous, but they’re full of experience. Both Jon Lester and John Lackey have pitched at this stage before, while Joe Peavy was a mid-season trade acquisition, meant to give them depth for this very moment. Clay Buchholz was a candidate to be cut after struggling through the playoffs to this point, but the manager has shown faith in the 2013 All Star. You can say what you want about this Boston rotation, but they held firm with the highly rated Detroit starters (inc. Verlander & Scherzer), and will expect to do so here as well.

Edge: St Louis Cardinals

Bullpen Pitching

Two years ago Boston’s Koji Uehara was pitching in Texas, and couldn’t make their playoff roster. He had to watch from afar as the Rangers lost a heartbreaker (and a thriller) to the, wait for it… St Louis Cardinals. Now he has emerged as the form closer in baseball. He was the MVP of the American League Championship Series with 3 saves and a win at a perfect ERA of 0.00. The rest of the Red Sox bullpen is strong, but with their starter usually good for 6-7 innings, and Uehara a lockdown in the ninth, they barely even need them!

St Louis has more depth to their bullpen for sure. Trevor Rosenthal took over the closer’s role late in the season, and has been brilliant. In rookie Carlos Martinez, they have a thunderbolt-ing setup man who has proved he can get out of tough situations this postseason. If all goes to plan, their starters go 7 and these two turn out the lights. Typically for the Cardinals, though, they fill out their ‘pen with gritty situational guys.

Late runs are gonna be hard to come by in this series, though Boston seem more vulnerable. The Red Sox took advantage of a poor relief pitching crew against Tampa Bay these playoffs, and then annihilated the Detroit bullpen. They’ll really have to work for it here.

Edge: St Louis Cardinals

Defence

Yadier Molina. That’s almost enough to give this category to the Cardinals alone. A brilliant leader, and probably the best defensive catcher in the game. His arm will be crucial against a Red Sox lineup that had 123 steals during this season. They run hard, fast and often, so Molina will have to be ready. Across the board, though, Boston’s young and talented infield probably has the better of St Louis’ similarly arranged one. Then you have a guy like Dustin Pedroia at second, who has been one of the top defensive guys in his position for years now. An interesting sidebar will be how Boston fit Ortiz’s bat into the lineup in St Louis, since he’s been a specialist DH for a few years now. Can he still handle the load at 1B?

Edge: Tie. Each have different strengths, and it’s too tough to split and compare.

Intangibles

Perhaps the most important of all the factors. In a sport like baseball, so much is determined by the numbers and the stats. Yet there is no stat that counts for more than ‘Championships’, and no magical formula to make it happen. It’s the ability to play past the means, medians and averages that can be the difference in a World Series. To be able to exist between the numbers.

In the past, St Louis had the edge on every other team late on thanks to the baseball genius of manager Tony La Russa. But he retired after their 2011 WS win, and Mike Matheny now leads this team, this being his second year in charge. Dave Farrell is in his first season managing the Red Sox, having taken over after the disastrous 2012 campaign of Bobby Valentine. And while Matheny has been able to keep his team on a relatively level road of success, the turnaround orchestrated in Boston by Farrell has been nothing short of incredible. He has taken, in 1 season, a 69 win team who finished bottom of their division, to the AL East title with 97 wins, and now to the World Series.

Both of these teams have won World Series’ in the past decade. And a number of players remain from those successes. They have pitchers who can handle the pressure, and hitters who can come up clutch. David Ortiz (Red Sox) and Carlos Beltran (Cards) are the two best postseason hitters of this generation. Boston may have the practical edge with their fanbase. They’ll be loud and obnoxious, and we expect nothing less. Plus Fenway Park, with all its history, can prove a daunting arena. And the whole #BostonStrong thing lends a sympathetic vote to the Red Sox that they haven't known since The Curse was lifted. But its widely regarded that St Louis has the *best* fans in baseball. They have a winning culture and perhaps the best rounded roster.

Then there’s the deal with the designated hitter rule. But with Allen Craig coming back from injury for this series, they have a prime candidate in St Louis. Jake Peavy is the only Red Sox starter with much hitting experience.

Bosotn has the better bench, Boston has this relentlessly patient hitting mentality, St Louis plays the percentages better, and they control the game better.

Oh, and the Red Sox have beards.

This may not be the dream series that most neutrals were hoping for, but it still reads like a potential classic.

Edge: St Louis Cardinals

Prediction: Cardinals in 6