Tonight, Jeff Suppan will be handed the ball seeking his second win of this NLCS as he leads the Cardinals into a deciding Game 7 against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. The last time the St. Louis Cardinals faced a seventh game in the NL championship series, Suppan led them to the World Series.
Suppan (1-1, 2.19 ERA) had the most dominant performance of any starting pitcher in this series, giving up just three hits and one walk over eight innings in Game 3, a 5-0 victory Saturday at Busch Stadium to give the Cardinals a 2-1 series lead.
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Suppan also was the winning pitcher in the Cardinals' most important victory in recent years. He allowed two runs over six innings to outpitch Roger Clemens as St. Louis defeated Houston 5-2 in Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS, giving the Cardinals their first National League pennant since 1987.
Pitching at Shea, though, may pose more of a challenge for Suppan. He went 7-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 home starts during the regular season, but just 5-5 with a 5.36 ERA in 15 starts on the road in 2006. Also, the Cardinals are 1-4 in Suppan's last 5 road starts and his team is 1-5 in the last 6 meetings in New York.
Despite Thursday's loss, St. Louis has history on its side. No major league team has won more Game 7s than the Cardinals, who are 9-4 in those situations. As well, the Cardinals are 6-0 in their last 6 games following a loss.
Meanwhile, the Mets have momentum in their favor, as well as some history of their own. The past 11 home teams that won Game 6 of an LCS or World Series to prevent elimination won Game 7 and the series. Also playing in their favor is the Mets are 7-2 in their last 9 games following a win.
Oliver Perez (1-0, 7.94 ERA) will take the hill on three days' rest for Game 7. Perez, who went just 3-13 with a 6.55 ERA in the regular season with Pittsburgh and New York, allowed five runs and nine hits – including three homers over 5 2-3 innings in Game 4 on Sunday. He received 11 runs of support and got credit for the victory as the Mets won 12-5.
Game Trends:
- Cardinals are 7-15 in their last 22 vs. National League East.
- Cardinals are 3-7 in their last 10 playoff games as an underdog.
- Cardinals are 10-26 in their last 36 road games.
- Mets are 6-1 in their last 7 games as a favorite.
- Mets are 4-1 in their last 5 League Championship home games.
- Mets are 7-2 in their last 9 games following a win.
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