A lot of things went wrong for the St. Louis Cardinals in last night’s 2013 World Series Game 1 loss, which is a good and a bad thing. The good thing is that there’s plenty of room to improve in tonight’s Game 2 at 7:30 EST / 4:30 PST on FOX. The bad news is that so many things went wrong in their 8-1 loss that it’s hard to know where to start. There’s a lot to watch for tonight, so if you can’t see the game live on TV, watch World Series Game 2 online live streaming free using one of several different methods. The Boston Red Sox are in need of a big turnaround, and tonight’s game will tell MLB fans a lot about how this series will unfold.
For all the pre-game discussion about the pitching staffs in Game 1, the conversations today focused predominantly on whether Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester was applying an unknown substance to the ball, or perhaps to his fingertips. This isn’t the first time this season a Red Sox pitcher has been accused of doing something in secret, with the previous occurrences happening in May. But it’s certainly the most public time, as it came during the Fall Classic of all things. Certainly the Red Sox winning by seven runs will also add fuel to the fire going into World Series Game 2 tonight, as the series features the top two teams in the MLB this season. After all, how could a game be so lopsided with that level of competition?
It wasn’t just pitching that took St. Louis by storm, though, but also some incredibly bad timing of several key events. For instance, there was a routine popup that miraculously dropped between two Gold Glove winners. An entire slate of umpires reversing a key call, just one season before instant replay goes into effect. And let’s hope that when you watch World Series Game 2 online live streaming free using these links that we don’t see another injury like the freak one that befell Carlos Beltran, who robbed David Ortiz of a grand slam in the second inning but went to the hospital with bruised ribs an didn’t return.
Trying to turn it around for the Cardinals tonight is 22-year-old rookie Michael Wacha, who will start on the mound against the Red Sox’ John Lackey. Wacha is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA this postseason, and if anyone in the Cardinals pitching staff can help right the ship, it’s Wacha. It’s not often that we say a 22-year-old rookie will set the tone for success, but that’s exactly what could happen in Game 2 tonight on FOX.
In addition, as noted on ESPN, the rest of the St. Louis Cardinals seem ready to respond along with Wacha. “The St. Louis players — Wainwright, in particular — stood in front of the media and answered every last question with calmness, poise and a sense of accountability for the mess that just transpired.” In addition, they have the utmost faith in Wacha.
If things are to go right for the Cards, though, they’ll need to turn on their bats. The Cards have scored only 43 runs in 12 games and batted .210 in the postseason, including a 9-0 win in the final game of the National League Championship Series. You can see if they succeed by catching the game on FOX, or you can watch World Series Game 2 online live stream on MLB’s website. If the Cardinals don’t turn it around, particularly if they fail in the same manner as they played last night, the 2013 Fall Classic could very well be looking at a four-and-out sweep.