Lester and Red Sox Offense Takes Control in a Bizarre Game 1

For the first time since 1999, the two best teams record-wise faced off in the Fall Classic. Expectations were high for a great game as well as a great series. Both played well throughout October adding to the expectations. Boston landed the first big blow to St. Louis in a 8-1 win where it featured a bizarre first inning featuring an uncharacteristic Cardinals team, the dominance of Jon Lester and the importance of Game 1.

I watched this one with my father arguably the biggest baseball fan I know and the only man above the age of 55 who taught me a new advanced metric in baseball. I told him before the game started 'This will be a low-scoring game with the two teams trying to figure each other out for at least six innings.'  Well I could not have been more wrong and this is why I do not live broadcast conversations with my dad. The other reason for that is due to them at times being wildly inappropriate. Boston took advantage of the one weak spot in Adam Wainwright's game, the first inning.

In 2013 regular season, Wainwright gave up 44 runs in his first 30 pitches this season while after pitch 31, he only gave up 36. Basically, this tells a team if you do not get to Wainwright early then it is time to say good night. Boston started off early and it appears like Wainwright might have been able to work through it as David Ortiz hit a weak grounder to second base looking like an inevitable double play. Pete Kozma could not hang on the ball yet umpire Dana DeMuth called him out reacting before the play actually happened. Red Sox manager John Farrell came out to argue the call and it got reversed.

Rule 9.02 is pretty interesting because it does not sound like what the umpires did yesterday evening. They made the right call although it feels like they may have skirted the rules a bit. Even though the umpires made the right decision, it may have violated a rule or two. I am curious to see how this will influence the umpires for the rest of the series. Further, how bad was John Hirschbeck last night behind the plate? He could not have been more brutal.

After the fiasco at second base, Mike Napoli came to the plate with the bases loaded. He came up with another big hit for this team clearing the bases including this emphatic slide from Ortiz putting the Red Sox up three in the first inning.  It is hard to quantify what would have happened if the umpires did not get together and reverse the call. The entire game and series momentarily could have changed. Wainwright continued to struggle in the second giving up two more runs including this pop-up mishap with Yadier Molina (H/T @CorkGaines).

The weirdness of this game will ensure everyone forgets about Jon Lester's performance. He dominated like an ace would in Game 1 of the World Series. Lester went seven two-thirds innings only giving up five hits striking out eight and only walking one batter. He does not face St. Louis regularly and Lester dominated a good offense. Sure, Carlos Beltran went out with injury making their offense a tad obsolete, but that still does not diminish what Lester did on Wednesday night. He looked in complete control plus this does not bold well for a Cardinals team who at times did not have an offense this October.

This game reminds me of Game 3 against Los Angeles. I expressed some concern with how St. Louis played because they looked entirely out of sorts. They responded with a big Game 4 with a big performance from Lance Lynn and others. Michael Wacha heads to the mound where the hype machine is massive for the young pitcher. There is a slight part of me who thinks this could be the end of the Wacha run to glory just based off what professional sports have taught me throughout the years. Guys like this hit a bump in the road and this could be it.  Wacha needs to understand this team will work the count and not try to get people out in the first couple of pitches.

Game 1 is only as important as Game 2 if that makes sense. If St. Louis wins Game 2, then Game 1 is a complete wash for now. But if Boston takes another one,  the Cardinals are left with major work to do heading home this weekend. Now I am fully aware the last 21 of  25 World Series winners have won Game 1, but still, the fact remains if St. Louis takes care of business here, it is completely up for grabs heading to the Midwest.

There are already storylines developing from Victorino pissing the team off in the first game, Carlos Beltran's rib injury to Lester getting accused of using Vaseline (C'mon Cardinals fans). Looking forward to Game 2 this evening.

Charlie.