Quote:
According to Baseball-reference.com and a quick game log sort for post-season contests, Lackey has started in the post-season on three days rest following a previous start on two occasions.
The first three day rest for Lackey came in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series when Lackey was a member of the L.A. Angels (or whatever they were called then.) Lackey picked up the victory, pitching five innings while allowing four hits, a walk and one earned run. He threw 86 pitches just three days after hurling 95. Lackey was just 23 at the time.
Then, in 2005, Lackey pitched on three days rest again for the Angels in the ALDS. Gaining a no-decision, Lackey went 5.2 innings, allowed just two hits, but walked four hitters while allowing just one earned run as the Angels lost the game after Lackey left the contest. Lackey threw 78 pitches, just three days after throwing 98 pitches in Game 2 of the series. Lackey was 26 at the time.
Now, Lackey is 36 and will try to do something he has not done in 10 years when he takes the hill late on Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field to try and help the Cardinals survive and push the NLDS to a fifth and deciding game at Busch Series.
It should be pointed out that this go-around, Lackey threw less pitches then his previous forays on short-rest, tossing only 86 pitches in his Game 1 gem on Friday night.
Some will remember 2013, when Lackey pitched in relief before starting the clinching Game 6. While the relief appearance was two days after his Game 2 start and his Game 6 start was two days after that relief appearance, the only two times Lackey has truly had back-to-back appearances on three days rest in the post-season were in 2002 and 2005.
Many are thrilled with this decision by Matheny to go with his veteran, but I am a skeptical.
Lackey is a bulldog and I certainly love his attitude. He has been here before.
But what can we really expect from Lackey other than about five innings? You have to figure that the Cardinals will still need to rely heavily on a bullpen that was every bit as bad as starter Michael Wacha was in Game 3. Kevin Siegrist, Seth Maness, Adam Wainwright and Jonathan Broxton all pitched in relief in Game 3 and all allowed at least one earned run themselves. All will need to be sharp because all will likely be called on since Lackey will be going on just three days.
It should be noted, that the last time the St. Louis Cardinals had a 36 year old pitch on three days rest it happened on October 28, 2001. Of course, the man that took the bump that night was none other than Chris Carpenter, who grunted himself through six innings and to the franchise’s eleventh World Series championship.
_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away." Frank Coztansa wrote:
I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
) and the rest of the team picked him up. That should be very encouraging for dolts that apparently needed a reminder that this squad isn't built on the back of some fragile image of one 'perfect' pitcher ... rather, it's a team that wins games as a team more often than not. Or maybe Arietta started 97 games this year; I forget.
