"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run."
So goes the chorus to one of the best-known songs in the history of country music. The singer, of course, is the legendary Kenny Rogers, and the song is "The Gambler." And whether he appreciates it or not, the Detroit Tigers' All-Star pitcher has found himself a nickname.
"The Gambler" turned in another magnificent performance Sunday night, pitching eight scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. He allowed just two hits and struck out five Cardinals, evening the series at one game apiece.
For Tigers manager Jim Leyland, etching Rogers' name on the scorecard has been anything but a gamble. Rogers is now 3-0 in his three postseason starts and has strung together 25 consecutive scoreless innings. At age 40, Rogers is pitching the best postseason of his career, redeeming himself for his abysmal 1999 NLCS performance for the New York Mets, when he walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded to score the go-ahead and ultimately winning run that sent the Atlanta Braves to the World Series.
And at 61, Leyland may become only the second manager ever to win a World Series in both leagues. The only other manager to accomplish that feat was Sparky Anderson, who ironically managed the Tigers to their last title, 22 years ago.
For Rogers, Leyland and the Tigers, a World Series championship, which seemed improbable during the offseason, is a mere three wins from their grasp. But the question remains - can the Tigers win the Fall Classic despite the inexperience of practically everyone else on their pitching staff?
The 23-year-old Justin Verlander was shaky, to say the least, in the series opener. Verlander squared off against Anthony Reyes, as two rookies took the mound for Game 1 for the first time in World Series history. A 17-game winner in the regular season, Verlander surrendered seven runs in five innings, while Reyes shocked the Tigers with his stingy pitching, only allowing two runs in eight-plus innings. Scott Rolen and Albert Pujols both took Verlander deep, and in the end it wasn't even close, as the Tigers won 7-2.
Leyland will turn to Nate Robertson to start Game 3 tonight, and it's hard to predict what the 29-year-old lefthander will bring to the mound. Robertson struggled late in the season, going 3-7 after Aug. 1, and was rocked in Game 1 of the ALDS, allowing seven runs to the New York Yankees before leaving in the fifth inning.
But in a twist of fate, Robertson was un-hittable in Game 1 of the ALCS. He struck out four Oakland Athletics in five scoreless innings en route to his first postseason win, and he is now looking for his second one at Busch Stadium tonight.
His opponent will be none other than Chris Carpenter, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, a two-time All-Star, and the owner of a 4-1 career postseason record. This will be Carpenter's first career World Series appearance, however, as he sat out the 2004 showdown with the Boston Red Sox with a bicep injury.
The Cardinals should be relieved to have split the two games at Comerica Park. They kept the series close while facing the Tigers' aces, Verlander and Rogers, and now the Cards are at home with their top two pitchers-Carpenter and Jeff Suppan-on the mound in the next two games.
Like Robertson, Suppan also had a mediocre Divisional Series. Just as Robertson earned the Tigers' only loss to the Yankees, Suppan earned the Cards' only loss in their 3-1 NLDS victory over the San Diego Padres. Suppan left in the fifth inning of Game 3, after allowing three runs in the fourth.
The veteran right-hander rebounded, however, dominating the New York Mets in the NLCS. Suppan allowed just one run in 15 innings, as the Cardinals won both games in which he started, including their dramatic Game 7 win. Suppan even hit a home run of his own in Game 3, the second of his career. Interestingly enough, Mets' pitcher Steve Trachsel surrendered both.
Busch Stadium will host three crucial games over the next three nights. After Robertson and Carpenter square off in Game 3, Suppan will take on the Tigers' Jeremy Bonderman, and then Game 5 will feature a rematch of rookies Verlander and Reyes.
Tonight's game will be a tough one for Robertson, a lefty specialist whose right-handed opponents hit .284 against him in the regular season. The heart of the lineup features Jim Edmonds, Juan Encarnacion, and perhaps the best right-handed hitter in the history of the game, Albert Pujols.
Pujols has posted a jaw-dropping .449 on-base percentage in the postseason thus far, with three homers. But the Tigers have some hitters heating up as well. Carlos Guillen went 3-for-3 with an RBI double in Game 2, and now has a 1.021 postseason OPS. Meanwhile Craig Monroe has homered four times this October, carrying the Tiger offense alongside Guillen.
