The injury that forced Carlos Beltran out of Game 3 of the NLCS in the first inning was, apparently, more than just a one-day thing; Beltran is not in St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny's lineup for Game 4 (* indicates lefthanded hitter, # indicates switch-hitter):
Carlos Beltran out of Cardinals lineup for Game 4
1. Jon Jay*, CF
2. Matt Carpenter*, 1B
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Yadier Molina, C
6. David Freese, 3B
7. Daniel Descalso*, 2B
8. Pete Kozma, SS
9. Adam Wainwright, P
Tim Lincecum gets the start for the Giants against this mostly righthanded lineup. Lincecum's last start was at the tail end of the regular season, September 30 vs. the Padres, but he has been excellent in three relief appearances in the postseason -- 8⅓ innings, three hits and a walk allowed, just one run given up, and nine strikeouts. Members of the Cardinals' postseason roster are hitting .333 (40-for-120) against The Freak with three home runs; for Beltran and the Cardinals, it's unfortunate he's not starting, because he is 7-for-14 lifetime vs. Lincecum with three doubles and a home run.
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