Giants force Game 7 with 6-1 victory over Cards

For blogger bgh of Viva El Birdos, while things were looking up just days ago, the tale of this NLCS has unfortunately become about how the team’s insistence on putting Chris Carpenter in the postseason rotation may spell its doom:

Game 7 will begin at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

The Giants need just one more victory Monday night in Game 7 to cap an historic comeback and earn a shot at their second World Series title in three years. Ace right-hander Matt Cain will take the hill for the Giants in Game 7, taking on Kyle Lohse of the Cardinals.

The game will begin at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Even accomplishing that in the League Championship Series is rare. This is the sixth time in the wild-card era that a team that trailed three games to one in the LCS won Games 5 and 6.

Here’s what happened the other five times.

In Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, Vogelsong pitched seven innings, and gave up only four hits and one run. The Giants won Game 2, 7-1.

In Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, Vogelsong pitched seven innings, and gave up only four hits and one run. The Giants won Game 6, 6-1.

Ryan Vogelsong was a last-second addition to the Giants’ rotation. He struggled so much through August and early September, there was talk that he’d be the pitcher left in the bullpen throughout the playoffs.

Instead, he pitched his third straight brilliant game of the playoffs, and in Game 6, he pitched his second straight elimination-game masterpiece, shutting the Cardinals down. Vogelsong threw seven innings, striking out nine and walking one. He allowed four hits, all of them with two outs, and gave up just one run.

Ryan Vogelsong lost his no-hitter in the fifth inning, and now he’s lost his shutout in the sixth.

Early in the sixth, Vogelsong seemed to still be cruising. But with two outs, Carlos Beltran lined a double into the left-field corner. And after a battle, Allen Craig drove a hard grounder into left for an RBI single. Then, with a couple of relief pitchers getting warmed up in the Giants’ bullpen, Yadier Molina drove a liner to center field ... but right at Angel Pagan, who made the routine play to end the threat.

With one more strikeout, Vogelsong will match his career high.

The Cardinals are down 5-0, which is something that should make the opposing team nervous, of course. But Mike Matheny isn’t managing the opposing team; he’s managing the team that’s down 5-0, and he’s making moves accordingly. Or, rather, he’s not making moves accordingly.

After Carpenter allowed four runs in the second inning, his spot in the order came up in the top of the third. Joe Kelly had been warming in the bullpen for the Cards, and he was likely ready, but Carpenter hit for himself, and Kelly sat down.

To this point, he’s simply been overpowering.

And just the intentional walk hurt the Cardinals in Game 5, it hurt them in Game 6. Vogelsong squared around to bunt, but pulled his bat back and poked a little grounder toward shortstop ...

So Vogelsong did just swell in his half-inning.

Hunter Pence followed by making an out because, well, yeah. But one inning down, and the Giants are up 1-0 in Game 6.

Holliday dealt with lower back tightness late in the season and apparently re-injured his back during batting practice prior to Game 6. He cut his batting practice session short and was scratched from the lineup not long after. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Holliday fought to stay in the lineup and was “not very happy” with Matheny after being scratched.

The updated Cardinals lineup can be found below:

The Cardinals are hoping Game 6 is not a repeat of Game 2, when Carpenter lasted only four innings, while the Cards managed to score just one against Vogelsong in seven innings, and lost 7-1.

Well, you gotta hand it to Bochy - He’s not one to panic. Or split up his left-handed hitters to make Mike Matheny’s job just a tad more difficult in the late innings. Some manager might drop Pence to No. 6 in the lineup, to break up the run of left-handed hitters and also because Pence is batting .154 in the Giants’ 10 postseason games. Shoot, Bochy might be well-advised to drop Pence to seventh in the lineup. Or eighth. Or not.

But like I said, you gotta hand it to Bochy. If this doesn’t work, at least he doesn’t have to worry about Game 7.