Cardinals at Nationals
Game » NLDS Game 5
Series » Tied 2-2
Starters » Adam Wainwright (14-13, 3.94 ERA) vs. Gio Gonzalez (21-8, 2.89 ERA)
When » Friday, 8:37 p.m.
Where » National Park, Washington, D.C.
TV » TBS
Radio » 106.7 the Fan FM, WFED 1500, WHFS 1580
Even before Thursday’s dramatic Game 4 win over St. Louis, the Nationals said repeatedly they just wanted to get to a Game 5 where “their guy” Gio Gonzalez, who will take the mound again in the deciding game.
Things didn’t go so well for Gonzalez in Game 1 against the Cardinals last Sunday. He walked a career-high seven batters and had to scratch and claw his way to avoid giving up more than two runs through five innings. He left that game disappointed in himself and hoping he’d have another chance. Now, thanks to Jayson Werth, but also Ross Detwiler, Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Jordan Zimmermann, he does.
“I think he’s gotten it out of his system. I really do,” teammate Adam LaRoche said. “I think he’s been the same Gio the last few days as he has been all year. He was our biggest cheerleader in there [Thursday]. Wanting the ball [Friday]. You could tell the whole game he’s wanting to get to [there] to kind of redeem himself a little bit. So I think he’s got the butterflies out and he’ll be his same dominant self.”
But LaRoche and his fellow batters will have to deal with yet another savvy St. Louis veteran. Adam Wainwright missed his club’s march to the World Series title last season because of Tommy John surgery. But the 32-year-old had a solid season upon his return, making 32 starts and 198 2/3 innings during the regular season. He baffled Washington with his superb curveball on Sunday in Game 1 with 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Wainwright gave up six hits and walked three batters. Will so what kind of feel he has for that curve as temperatures are expected to plummet into the low 50s or upper 40s during game time. Wainwright beat the Nats on Sept. 28 when he gave up one run in six innings and the Cardinals’ bats bashed their way to 12 runs. But on Aug. 31 in Washington Wainwright gave up six runs and was knocked from the game in the third inning.
The lineups for both clubs remain the same:
Nats
RF – Jayson Werth
CF – Bryce Harper (L)
3B – Ryan Zimmerman
1B – Adam LaRoche (L)
LF – Michael Morse
SS – Ian Desmond
2B – Danny Espinosa (S)
C – Kurt Suzuki
LHP – Gio Gonzalez
Cardinals
CF – Jon Jay (L)
RF – Carlos Beltran (S)
LF – Matt Holliday
1B – Allen Craig
C – Yadier Molina
3B – David Freese
2B – Daniel Descalso (L)
SS – Peter Kozma
RHP – Adam Wainwright
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