For the very first time, two of the original 16 MLB teams will meet in the postseason, as the wild card entrant St. Louis Cardinals travel to Philadelphia to meet the five-time defending National League East division champion Phillies.
The Cardinals squeezed into the playoffs thanks, in part, to some help from the Phillies, as Philadelphia swept the wild card leading Braves in their final regular season series. St. Louis then won two of three games against Houston to knock Atlanta from its perch.
In the series opener, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa will send veteran hurler and former Phillie Kyle Lohse to the mound, while the Phillies' Charlie Manuel will go with ace and perennial Cy Young award contender Roy Halladay.
Read ahead for detailed info on the pitching match ups for games 1 and 2 as well as other key stats.
Saturday, 5:07 PM. Kyle Lohse (14-8, 3.39 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA). In 16 road starts this season, Lohse posted an 8-3 record with a 3.13 ERA. Lohse has posted a 3-1 record with a 3.60 ERA in 11 career games at Citizens Bank Park, including the postseason. In 6 career postseason games (1 start), Lohse is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA and has struck out 15 batters in in 13 1/3 innings. Ryan Howard is 8-for-16 (.500 avg) with 2 HR in his career against the right-handed Lohse. In 4 career starts against St. Louis, Roy Halladay has a 2-1 record with a with a 2.10 ERA and a .200 batting average against. Halladay posted an 8-3 record with a 2.48 ERA in 15 home starts this season. In his last 5 starts, Halladay is 3-1 with a 1.70 ERA and a .216 batting average against. Albert Pujols is 2-for-11 (.182 avg) in his career against Halladay.
Sunday, 8:07 PM. Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.45 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40 ERA). In his last 5 starts, Carpenter is 3-0 with a 1.15 ERA. Carpenter is 7-2 with a 4.14 ERA in 11 career starts against the Phillies. Carpenter posted a 2.98 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break. Chase Utley is 7-for-15 (.467 avg) in his career against Carpenter. In 18 home starts this season, Lee posted an 11-3 record with a 1.94 ERA. In 4 career regular season games against the Cardinals, Lee has a 3-1 record with a 1.48 ERA. Lee posted an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA in 13 games since the All-Star break. As a Phillie in the postseason, Lee is 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in 5 starts.
Yadier Molina posted a .337 batting average in 58 games since the All-Star break. Molina's OPS was 143 points higher in 2011 than it was in 2010.
In 26 career games at Citizens Bank Park, Albert Pujols has a .340 batting average with 10 homeruns and 24 RBI. The three-time National League MVP is a .322 hitter in 56 postseason games.
Five-time All-Star Lance Berkman has a .320 average with 7 homeruns and 30 RBI in 34 career postseason games. Berkman is a .313 hitter in 73 games against the Phillies. Berkman posted a .194 average in 43 day games this season.
In 41 career postseason games, Chase Utley is a .243 hitter with 10 homeruns and 24 RBI. Utley posted and .245 batting average in 62 games since the All-Star break.
Ryan Howard has a .360 batting average with 16 homeruns and 50 RBI in 45 career regular season games against St. Louis. Howard is the Phillies' all-time postseason leader in hits with 42.
Ryan Madson has a 2-1 record with 1 save and a 2.35 ERA in 29 career games in the postseason. Madson is tops among the Phils' all-time leaders in postseason games pitched.
Cardinals team batting average- .273
Phillies team batting average- .253
Cardinals team ERA- 3.74
Phillies team ERA- 3.02
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