NLDS Game 4 Preview - Pirates vs Cardinals

Time for the Pirates to Finish the Cardinals...

The Pittsburgh Pirates can take the NLDS series from the NL Central division winning St. Louis Cardinals today at PNC Park, but for the Pirates fans that think this win is a given and the Pirates' spot in the NL Championship Series is automatic...think again.  After all, the Pirates aren't playing the Cubs, they are playing a team that is only 2 years removed from a World Series title.  If there is a team that can crawl out of the depths and take this series...its the Cardinals.  Lets break down this crucial game...

Pitching Matchup:
PIT - Charlie Morton (0-0)
STL - Michael Wacha (0-0)

- Charlie Morton was quietly having himself a career September, and if weren't for Gerrit Cole lighting up radar guns and stealing the spotlight more people would have noticed.  Morton didn't get all the wins that he deserved this month, but that doesn't take away from the quality starts he has strung together.  Now, on a full sequence of rest and then some, its time for "Ground Chuck" to toe the rubber and prove his worth to the team in the NLDS.  The Pirates have had tremendous pitching the last 2 games, and no surprise, those 2 games were wins.  Although Michael Wacha is a rookie, so is Gerrit Cole.  That should mean NOTHING, especially since the last time Wacha pitched he took a no hitter into the 9th inning before it got ruined.  This pitching matchup will certainly tilt the game, and ultimately the series.  Should be fun to watch.

Lineups:
- I said this yesterday that Clint Hurdle is a man that seems to be superstitious and has an "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality.  The lineup has already been released for today's matchup and the lineup for the Pirates hasn't changed except for Morton batting 9th.  Barmes and his defensive work starts at short, and the remainder of the lineup stands as it was the past 2 games.  Morneau hits cleanup with Byrd and Alvarez to follow.  The Pirates lineup will have to produce some early runs as it did the past 2 games to ease the tension off of Morton and allow him to work his magic on the mound.  The Cardinals will deploy their left handed bats and, of course, controlling Carlos Beltran should be paramount in the minds of Pirates pitchers.  Beltran single handedly had a hand in every run scored by the Cards yesterday, and its time for the Bucco flame throwers to pitch him very carefully so you can't let one man defeat your team.

Intangibles:
- PNC Park remains to be a home field advantage for the Pirates.  The "Black Sea" continues to be a daunting task for opposing players as the Buccos are 2-0 this postseason at the friendly confines.  Of course, the players requested another "black out" for today's game, and I'm sure the fans will be as loud and vocal as ever as the Pirates have a chance to punch their ticket to the next round of the playoffs...something that hasn't been done since '92.  To say the fans will be worked up into a frenzy is an understatement.  The weather in Pittsburgh looked dicey earlier today, but the rain looks to have moved out of the area and talks of a delay aren't swirling.  It looks like the Buccos will be ready to start things off at 3:07pm EST as planned, and the wet conditions could make things in the OF interesting.

Prediction:
- I like the Pirates to close the door on the Cardinals today.  There just seems to be too much in their favor for them to fall flat at this stage of the game, and one of the biggest things is that a rookie is taking the rubber an elimination game for the Cardinals.  Sure, Gerrit Cole performed well earlier in the series, but he didn't have this PNC Blackout crowd to deal with either.  I like the Buccos to go and face the Dodgers in the NLCS.