The Key is in the Pitching

Tonight at 8:07 pm eastern time, one of the biggest sporting events for Pittsburgh fans in the last 20 years will be happening. The Pittsburgh Pirates play the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series. Winner advances to the National League Championship Series, loser will be watching from their couches.

If all goes as planned, tonight should be one of the best pitching matchups of the playoffs so far. The Pirates are sending rookie, number 1 draft pick of 2011, Gerrit Cole to the mound. The Cardinals are taking a different approach. They are going with their 8 year veteran ace, Adam Wainwright.

Pittsburgh's Game 5 starter Gerrit Cole
photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette 

Gerrit Cole enters the game with a 10-7 record in 19 games pitched. He has a very strong 3.22 earned run average and 100 strikeouts in 117 and 1/3 innings pitched. One reason the Pirates decided to pick Cole to start this game is because of his success against the Cardinals. October 4th he pitched 6 strong innings allowing 1 run to beat those Cardinals 6 to 2 in game 2 of this series.

Adam Wainwright finished the regular season with some of his best numbers of his careers. In 34 games pitched, he led the league with 19 wins and only 9 losses. He had a 2.94 earned run average and struck out 219 batters in his league leading 241 and 2/3 innings pitched. October 3rd he beat the Pirates in game 1 of this series by pitching 7 innings and only allowing 1 run in a 9 to 1 victory.

Two key offensive players to keep an eye on in this game are the Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and the Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez.

Molina can do it all. He can hit for average, power, drive in runs, and he is no question the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. He posted a .996 fielding percentage and threw out 48% of runners attempting to steal a base on him. He neutralizes the running game of other teams, and that plays a big part in keeping runs off the scoreboard in a winner take all game.

The Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez is a key in this game because of what he can do with the bat. This year he set a new record for homeruns by a Pirates third baseman with 36 long balls. This postseason, Alvarez's first, has been a coming out party for him. In 5 games he has hit 3 homeruns and driven in 6 runs. He has provided a big power bat in the middle of the Pirates order, and look for him to continue driving in runs tonight.

In 23 games this year, including the postseason, the Pirates lead the head-to-head series 12 games to 11. Theses two teams are very evenly matched. Tonight could come down to one key hit, pitch, or a great defensive play. There is no question that this game will be fun to watch.