The St. Louis Cardinals battered around Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers last Friday to clinch the National League pennant; a night later, the Red Sox rallied against the Tigers to complete an improbable run to capture the American League pennant.
Now, both teams are set for a showdown in the World Series that will feature two of the best clubs in baseball this year.
Facing each other in the Fall Classic for the first time since 2004, the Cardinals and Red Sox tied for the best record in baseball this season at 97-65.
In the regular season, the Red Sox scored the most runs in the AL while the Cardinals scored the most runs in the NL.
St. Louis’ pitching staff had the fifth best ERA in the NL while Boston’s ranked sixth in the AL.
In terms of statistics, these two teams are very similar.
In terms of roster makeup, they are very different. St. Louis is led by its dominant pitching staff comprised mostly of young hurlers. Boston is led by its relentless offense comprised mostly of well-traveled veterans with a shaving problem.
Overall, the two teams match up extremely well and represent two of the iconic franchises in baseball.
I know for whom I’ll be rooting, but no matter which teams comes out on top, this World Series will be one for the ages.
Reach the columnist at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21
