Sports Advice

MLB tickets are still available in New York and St. Louis, and most prognosticators, yours truly included, couldn’t have been more wrong about that development. Everyone in Southern California was clamoring with excitement over the impending “I 5 Series” between the Dodgers and Padres, but the only way that’ll happen now is if the two teams decide to schedule an exhibition series.

How did this happen? Most experts are at a loss, as both the Mets and the Cardinals came into the postseason reeling, while the Dodgers and Padres came into the NLDS on a roll. However, given that baseball is the most mysterious sport on the planet, these “realities” meant almost nothing once the games started.

The Mets got good pitching even though their starting staff had been decimated by injury and not only held off the Dodgers, but swept them. The Cardinals got good pitching and timely hitting, neither of which was expected as they clearly outplayed the Padres and eliminated them in four games.

So, now that those of us who are in the business of predicting have finished wiping the egg off of our faces, we’ll attempt to give you a clue as to who will represent the NL in the World Series. All we’ll say for sure is that MLB tickets will continue to be a hot item in either St. Louis or New York.

NLCS Breakdown

The Mets have the advantage in two areas: better overall offense and better relief pitching. The Cardinals have the biggest offensive force in baseball and a better starting staff due to the absences of Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez. Overall, this means that the NLCS will be a battle, as each team enjoys certain advantages.

In terms of game development, if the Mets can hold Albert Pujols and the Cardinals down into the 5th inning and beyond, their stingy bullpen should be able to close out games. Another huge advantage is that four of the seven games, if the series goes that far, will be played in New York.

However, if Pujols and the Cardinals can get an early lead and strong performances from their starting pitchers, including Chris Carpenter, they could slug their way into the World Series, as the Cardinals always play well with a lead and never “sit on it” when they’re ahead - if they score six runs early, they make sure to try to score six more late.

Overall, the NLCS is probably going to go the distance. That doesn’t mean that every game is going to be close. In fact, don’t be too surprised if there are a few blowouts along the way for each team. Pujols by himself is good enough to supply several runs in a game, and Carlos Beltran is nearly as good for the Mets, who also have more balance in their batting order.

There will be quite a few 6-5 games mixed in with a couple of 9-3 scores mixed in for good measure. In the end, though, the Mets will prevail in seven games, and MLB tickets in New York will be available for the World Series - of course, we’ve all been wrong before, so stay tuned.

About the Author: By Jay Nault, sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com StubHub sells MLB tickets: http://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/ sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and more to just about any event in the world.