| Advertisement |
ST. LOUIS -- John Lackey added another line to his rather distinguished postseason resume. Outdueling former teammate Jon Lester in a classic pitcher's duel Friday night, Lackey gave up only two hits in 7 1/3 innings as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Chicago Cubs 4-0 for a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five National League Division Series.
Advertisement
In posting his eighth postseason win, Lackey didn't allow a hit until shortstop Addison Russell singled to lead off the sixth inning. Fanning five and walking two, Lackey tied his longest postseason start and has now thrown 124 1/3 postseason innings with an ERA below 3.00.
"He comes from Texas, kind of does the John Wayne strut out there," said Chicago manager Joe Maddon, a coach on the Angels' staff in 2002 when Lackey started and won Game 7 of the World Series against the San Francisco Giants. "I saw him as a young man and he was always kind of fearless."
With the kind of fastball and location that Lackey exhibited in this game, there was no reason for him to fear anyone. Hitting the corners of plate umpire Phil Cuzzi's wide strike zone, Lackey faced just one batter above the minimum before manager Mike Matheny lifted him after a first-pitch grounder from second baseman Starlin Castro in the eighth.
Asked why he stuck with his fastball, Lackey offered a simple response.
"Because it worked," he said.
After allowing an RBI single to left fielder Matt Holliday in the bottom of the first, Lester gave Lackey no room for error. Lester whiffed second baseman Kolten Wong to start the eighth, marking his ninth strikeout and the 13th straight hitter he'd retired.
But Lester, who teamed with Lackey to win three games in the 2013 World Series as Boston vanquished St. Louis, wouldn't bag another out as two rookies provided sudden one-out insurance. Pinch-hitter Tommy Pham sent the second-largest crowd in Busch Stadium III history of 47,830 into hysterics with a 431-foot homer to left.
Lester walked third baseman Matt Carpenter and got the hook for reliever Pedro Strop. Two pitches later, right fielder Stephen Piscotty drilled a 406-foot homer to left, making him the third Cardinals rookie in two years to go deep in his first postseason game.
"His home run took a tremendous amount of pressure off me in my at-bat," Piscotty said. "Maybe I don't hit my home run if he doesn't come through with that one."
Closer Trevor Rosenthal polished off St. Louis' 21st postseason shutout in their first-ever playoff game against their NL Central rival, which entered full of momentum off a 4-0 shutout of Pittsburgh in Wednesday night's wild-card game.
But the Cubs' offense couldn't find any traction against Lackey, who was in trouble just once. Russell reached third after his sixth-inning single before center fielder Dexter Fowler's towering fly ball was caught at the wall by right fielder Randal Grichuk.
"I don't think you ever want to discount experience, being in these situations before," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "John Lackey has been there. When you get him in a big situation, he's not going to scare, and he's going to come out with better stuff when you turn up the heat."
Lester gave up just five hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings, an outing that would be good enough to win on most nights.
Not this one, not with the October Lackey on the hill.
"During the game, I don't think it has a whole lot to do with it," Lackey said of his vast postseason experience. "But as far as the pregame stuff and the stuff around the game, I know what to expect there. Those kind of distractions probably don't affect me like somebody that's new this time of year."
NOTES: The contrast in postseason experience is stark between the teams. St. Louis' roster has played in 586 postseason games, Chicago's in 75. ... The Cardinals' 2.94 ERA was the lowest in the majors since the New York Mets posted a 2.91 ERA in 1988. ... The Cubs' 48 road victories were their most in 70 years; the 1945 team won 49.
