5 reasons the Red Sox could sweep the Cardinals

Eric D. Schabell
Contributing Writer

There is a feeling that it might be possible.

History says it is how the Red Sox tackle a World Series.

Can we hope for a sweep of the Cardinals?

We have put together the top five reasons, specifically the reasons that would suggest it is in the works.

Reason 1: Cardinal injuries
The Cardinals have too many key players hurting down the stretch. Yesterday we saw Carlos Beltran bounce off the right field wall and leave the game. Alan Craig with his badly sprained ankle was moving just slightly better than Miguel Cabrera was in the ALCS and not able to just jump back into his hitting streak going 1-4 with a strikeout. David Freese at third base was having calf injury issues just last week and went 1-4 with two strikeouts, looks like another issue for their power hitters.

This is going to be a major problem as we saw last night, the power is not there.

Reason 2: Red Sox approach
Plate discipline will be a deciding factor as we saw in game one last night, with Adam Wainwright unable to get the patient Red Sox hitters to chase his big hook curve ball. He threw a bunch of them and they were not buying. Without this pitch, he was very human and hittable making you wonder with the plans to have him start two more games in the series.

Their patience and ability to change their approach when runners are in scoring position was extremely effective at getting the runs across the plate. Five runs in the first two innings with the starting pitcher at 60 pitches. Continue like this and the Red Sox will ruin the Cardinals chances to contain their offence.

Reason 3: Cardinal bullpen
Last night in game one, three of the four relievers gave up a run. With the starting pitcher only going five innings it was a good test of the highly touted Cardinals bullpen, but they failed the test. Everyone talks about the fact that they all throw 96 mph or above, but apparently that is just the right speed for the Red Sox hitters.

If the bullpen can't hold back the Red Sox hitters, then there is not much hope for pulling out a win in this series.

Reason 4: History repeats
Going back to the last two World Series appearances, the Red Sox have won 9 straight games. They have swept every team they met, in 2004 and again in 2007. This does not bode well for the Cardinals as they found out last night. Playing the Red Sox in the World Series, to quote the Fox sportscasters, is like "...running into a buzz saw."

Oh, and the last time they appeared in the World Series in 2007, it was the Cardinals who got swept.

Reason 5: Xander Bogaerts
With the X-Man in the lineup during the postseason, the Red Sox are 3-0. He has been the Red Sox best asset, hitting .286 AVG, with a .455 OBP, .571 slugging, has his first RBI last night with a sac-fly, and has scored three of the five times he reached base. This is the ability to extract from an at-bat the maximum for that moment, be that a walk or a sac-fly. This is the quality that Xander Bogaerts brings to the Red Sox when he is in the lineup.

The Cardinals are facing the youngest player to start a World Series game since Babe Ruth. You heard right, Babe Ruth in the same breath as Xander Bogaerts, how's that for history in the making?

So there you have it Red Sox fans, the reasons that you can throw away your list of excuses you were going to use to get out of working next week.

The Red Sox are going to sweep the Cardinals and you can plan that party for Sunday night.

Post a comment or via twitter @ericschabell with your thoughts.

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