Battle of the Boones a World Series possibility
missed at 11 pitches in the opener and 21 in Game 2. The Cardinals look perplexed at the plate not long after putting up 10 runs in the first inning of their Division Series clincher against Atlanta. St. Louis totaled one run and four hits — just one for extra bases— in the first two games against Washington and is batting .070.
“There's a little bit of we could do a little better, but the other side of that is they've done really good,” third baseman Matt Carpenter said. “On our side we've got to find a way. It isn't going to get any easier.”
Cardinals manager Mike Shildt refused to reveal his Game 3 lineup until Monday. It's possible he makes a tweak, but after analytics showed his hitters aren't chasing the ball out of the strike zone at a higher rate, St. Louis is ready to stay the course without major changes.
“I understand we're in a sprint mode with being in a series like this, but also trusting your guys is pretty important,” Shildt said in the visiting clubhouse Sunday. “One play, one thing could turn this thing completely around. We believe that, and we feel comfortable and confident with how this series will go.”
Teams that have taken a 2-0 lead on the road in a best-ofseven series have gone on to win 88% of the time in MLB history. The first step toward bucking those odds for St. Louis is sending 23-year-old ace Jack Flaherty to the mound in Game 3, and there's no shortage of belief in what he can do in what should be a raucous atmosphere.
“He's in a big spot, but I don't think there's any spot too big for him,” St. Louis center fielder Dexter Fowler said. “We've had our back against the wall basically all season. We've come back and excelled. That's what we're accustomed to doing.”
AP Sports Writer Jay Cohen in St. Louis contributed to this report. Bob Boone, father of Yankees manager Aaron Boone, is here in Houston not cheering on his son, but scouting this series for the Nationals, who currently lead the National League Championship Series 2-0.
It's been an interesting time in the father-son relationship with the possibility of their two teams meeting in the World Series.
“I talked to him last night on the ride home from the bus. Careful with what I say. I don't want him Jedi mind tricking me and sneaking information out of me," Aaron Boone joked before Sunday night's game.
With the Yankees taking a 1-0 lead into Sunday night's Game 2 and the Nationals having won the first two games against the Cardinals in St. Louis, both Boones were pretty happy Sunday.