WASHINGTON (AP) -- A look at the best-of-five National League division series between the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals:
Schedule:
(All times EDT) Game 1, Sunday, at St. Louis
(3:07 p.m.); Game 2, Monday, at St. Louis (4:37 p.m.); Game 3,
Wednesday, at Washington (TBA); x-Game 4, Thursday, at Washington (TBA);
x-Game 5, Friday, at Washington (TBA). (All games on TBS or MLB
Network).
x-if necessary.
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Season Series:
Nationals won 4-3.
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Projected Lineups:
Nationals:
RF Jayson Werth (.300, 5 HRs, 31 RBIs), CF Bryce Harper (.270, 22, 59, 9
triples, 98 runs), 3B Ryan Zimmerman (.282, 25, 95), 1B Adam LaRoche
(.271, 33, 100), LF Michael Morse (.291, 18, 62), SS Ian Desmond (.292,
25, 73, 21 steals), 2B Danny Espinosa (.247, 17, 56, 37 doubles), C Kurt
Suzuki (.235, 6, 43 with Athletics and Nationals).
Cardinals: CF
Jon Jay (.305, 4, 40, 18 SBs, .373 OBP), RF Carlos Beltran (.269, 32,
97), LF Matt Holliday (.295, 27, 102), 1B Allen Craig (.307, 22, 92), 3B
David Freese (.293, 20, 79), C Yadier Molina (.315, 22, 76), 2B Daniel
Descalso (.227, 4, 26), SS Pete Kozma (.333, 2, 14).
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Projected Rotations:
Nationals:
LH Gio Gonzalez (21-8, 2.89 ERA, 207 Ks, 199 1-3 IP), RHP Jordan
Zimmermann (12-8, 2.94), RHP Edwin Jackson (10-11, 4.03), LHP Ross
Detwiler (10-8, 3.40).
Cardinals: RH Adam Wainwright (14-13,
3.94), RH Chris Carpenter (0-2, 3.71 in 3 starts after shoulder
surgery), RH Kyle Lohse (16-3, 2.86), RH Lance Lynn (18-7, 3.78) or LH
Jaime Garcia (7-7, 3.92 in 20 starts).
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Relievers:
Nationals:
RH Drew Storen (3-1, 2.37, 4 saves, 37 IP), RH Tyler Clippard (2-6,
3.72, 32/36 saves, 84 Ks, 72 2-3 IP), RH Craig Stammen (6-1, 2.34, 1
save, 87 Ks, 88 1-3 IP), LH Sean Burnett (1-2, 2.38, 2 saves, 57 Ks, 56
2-3 IP), RH Ryan Mattheus (5-3, 2.85, 66 1-3 IP), LH Michael Gonzalez
(0-0, 3.03, 39 Ks, 35 2-3 IP).
Cardinals: RH Jason Motte (4-5,
2.75, 42/49 saves, 86K, 71 1-3 IP), RH Mitchell Boggs (4-1, 2.21, 78
games), RH Edward Mujica (0-3, 3.03), RH Fernando Salas (1-4, 4.30), RH
Joe Kelly (5-7, 3.53), LH Marc Rzepczynski (1-3, 4.27), RH Trevor
Rosenthal (0-2, 2.78).
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Matchups:
The Nationals
took three of four at home against the Cardinals from Aug. 30 to Sept.
2, but St. Louis outscored visiting Washington 26-12 during a three-game
set Sept. 28-30. ... Jackson won the World Series with the Cardinals
last season; he's the only member of Washington's starting rotation with
even a single game of postseason experience - and none of the
Nationals' top five relievers have been to the playoffs, either. Not
much different in the everyday lineup, where only two regulars (Werth,
LaRoche) have been to the postseason. So give the Cardinals a big edge
in experience. ... Because the Cardinals are much better against lefties
than righties, Jackson is expected to get the Game 3 start, with
Detwiler in a possible Game 4. ... Led by LaRoche, six of Washington's
eight everyday players hit at least 17 homers - and Werth certainly has
that kind of power, too. He missed nearly three months with a broken
left wrist. The club finished second in the NL with 194 homers. ...
Nationals team ERA of 3.33 led the NL and was second in the majors. ...
Washington was 48-33 on the road, the best mark in baseball. ... The
defending World Series champion Cardinals persevered through injuries to
Carpenter and 1B Lance Berkman under rookie manager Mike Matheny, and
are in the postseason for the third time in four seasons. ... Moving on
after the departure of Albert Pujols in free agency, the Cardinals have
one of the league's most dangerous lineups with five 20-homer players
for the first time in franchise history. The pitching staff was even
better. Lohse had a career year heading into free agency, Lynn was an
All-Star during his first year in the rotation and Wainwright had a
strong year after missing 2011 due to reconstructive elbow surgery. In
the bullpen, Motte tied for the league lead with 42 saves. He was the
first closer in franchise history to get all of the team's saves.