New York- We are just about 25 games into MLBs regular season and let me just say; baseball is hot on the streets. There is so much going on each and every night. Last night, the Mets pulled off a historic comeback by overcoming a 7-1 deficit in the 9th inning against their longtime rival, Philadelphia Phillies. Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo and company led the Mets to an epic 8-7 victory. Last week, 3-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw became the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise history leader in strikeouts. Kershaw, who is bound to head to Cooperstown, passed Hall of Famer Don Sutton in this historic milestone (2,696 strikeouts).
This weekend we have a showdown in the Bay between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. This matchup has the makings of being a series we see in October, whether in a Wild Card, NLDS, or even an NLCS battle.
Schedule + Pitching Matchups for St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants
Thursday May 5th: Cardinals win 7-1
Friday May 6th @10:15pm: RHP Jordan Hicks (1-2 record, 3.65 era) vs. RHP Alex Cobb (1-1 record, 5.40 era)
Saturday, May 7th @7:15pm: LHP Steven Matz (3-1 record, 4.56 era) vs. RHP Logan Webb (3-1 record, 3.26 era)
Sunday, May 8th @4:05pm: RHP Dakota Hudson (2-2 record, 3.16 era) vs. To Be Determined
Let’s start off with how extraordinary this defensive matchup shakes out. Being that I witnessed the Giants pregame routines before their game with the Mets at Citi Field last month, they are one team that stands out on mastering their craft. During batting practice, San Francisco has advanced fielding drills such as ground balls out of the machine, live BP ground balls, dynamic angle plays instructed by coaches with the majority of their infield out there. Infielders in the video provided below are Wilmer Flores, Thairo Estrada and Darin Ruf.
Check out Giants Infield Practice – Video Provided
On the other hand, the Cardinals have been known to “flash the leather” on the diamond. Future Hall of Famers Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols have 11 Gold Gloves combined throughout their legendary careers. When you think of this current Cardinals regime, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are the names that instantly come to mind. Goldschmit and Arenado, the corners of the Cardinals infield (1B and 3B) have combined for 13 Gold Glove awards in their careers. To add to their incredible defensive metrics, “Goldy” and Arenado committed 13 errors combined in the 2021 season. “Flashing the leather” is an understatement.
2021 NATIONAL LEAGUE GOLD GLOVE AWARD WINNERS:
Pitcher: Max Fried (ATL Braves)
Catcher: Jacob Stallings (Pittsburgh Pirates)
First Baseman: Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis Cardinals)
Second Baseman: Tommy Edman (St. Louis Cardinals)
Shortstop: Brandon Crawford (San Francisco Giants)
Third Baseman: Nolan Arenado (St. Louis Cardinals)
Left Field: Tyler O’Neill (St. Louis Cardinals)
Center Field: Harrison Bader (St. Louis Cardinals)
Right Field: Adam Duvall (ATL Braves)
The Cardinals and Giants dominated the 2021 NL Gold Glove final cut. There were ultimately six NL Gold Glove winners between the two franchises last season. Trust me, I’m not a Math guru. With that being said, 66 percent (2/3) of the 2021 NL Gold Glove awards were players from the Giants or Cardinals.
You definitely don’t want to miss out on this intense matchup. Dive into Cardinals vs. Giants this weekend. The Cardinals currently stand second behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central with a record of 15-10. In a star-studded NL West, the Giants are 14-11, which levels out to fourth place in the division behind the LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Colorado Rockies.
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Robert Rizzo writes for Latino Sports and NY Sports Day
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Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
