Reds and Cardinals Battle down the stretch for the N.L. Central

The St. Louis Cardinals were supposed to run away with the National League Central division. The majority of baseball handicappers had picked them to win the National League pennant, and represent the N.L. in the World Series this year. They may still get there, but not if the Cincinnati Reds can help it.

The Reds came out of the gated hot, and have continued to keep the pressure on the Cardinals despite being at a huge disadvantage in the pitching department. St. Louis is loaded! They have what many MLB experts consider the best pitcher in baseball with Chris Carpenter. As great and as dominate as Carpenter can be, he’s not even the best pitcher on his team in 2010. Adam Wainwright is having a phenomenal season as he is currently 17-6 with a minuscule 1.99 earned run average. He ranked in the top 4 in the National League in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, complete games, inning pitched, earned run average and winning percentage.

Carpenter will take the mound Wednesday as the Cardinals look to even their series with the Brewers after a loss on Tuesday. St. Louis is just 1 game back of the Reds, and have gained ground since the All-Star break. Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday have provided a tremendous amount of offense for the Cardinals this year. Combined, they have 51 homeruns and 159 runs batted in. The rest of the starting line-up isn’t bad either as Colby Rasmus is having one of his best years with 19 homers and 54 RBI’s.

Regardless of how much offense the Cardinals have, they will need to get good pitching down the stretch to overtake Cincinnati in the Central. Cincy has actually scored 40 more runs this season than St. Louis, and do not look to be letting up any time soon. Joey Votto is matching Pujols stride for stride this year. He is slightly behind Pujols in homeruns and runs batted in, but leads his in batting average. Scott Rolen is back to his old form as he is hovering around the .300 mark with 18 homeruns and 65 RBI’s.

The battle for the N.L. Central may come down to the final week, but for now St. Louis has to worry about getting past the Brewers with their “Ace” on the mound. Yovani Gallardo will toe the rubber for the Brewers Wednesday with an 11-5 record and a 2.97 ERA. Gallardo is the only solid starter for Milwaukee. He has allowed 4 runs in each of his last 2 starts, but has the potential to shut teams down with a devastating fastball. Gallardo is 7th in the N.L. in strikeouts, and 7th in winning percentage. He will have a tough task in holding the dynamic Cardinals offense down, but his offense has the potential to put runs up against Wainwright.

This may be the closest division battle in baseball, and could very well come down to the final week of the season. If the combo of Wainwright and Carpenter can not hold serve down the stretch, the Cardinals may find themselves at home for the playoffs as Philadelphia and San Francisco currently have the lead for the wildcard spot.

Related posts:

1. Cardinals take on Pirates in N.L. Central Showdown
2. Cardinals vs. Phillies Battle of N.L. Powerhouses
3. Reds and Giants Fight for Position in N.L. Playoffs
4. Cardinals and Brewers in National League Central Showdown
5. Greinke and Carpenter Battle in N.L. Central Showdown

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