World Series shifts to St. Louis tonight
ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The most frequently discussed body part at the World Series continues to be Kenny Rogers' left hand. The St. Louis Cardinals hope that after Tuesday, all the talk is about Chris Carpenter's right arm.
Two days after they were shut down by Rogers, the Cardinals hope to get back on track Tuesday when Carpenter faces the Detroit Tigers in Game Three of the World Series.
Detroit evened the series at one game apiece Sunday as Rogers pitched eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 triumph. The lefthander has pitched 23 consecutive scoreless frames this postseason, just two shy of Christy Mathewson's all-time mark.
However, Rogers was shown to have a yellow substance - believed to be pine tar - on his pitching hand in the first inning. Both managers, in addition to Rogers, had discussions with the umpires and, when Rogers came back out for the second, the substance was no longer there.
"It was a big clump of dirt, and I wiped it off," Rogers said after the game. "I didn't know it was there. (The umpires) told me and I took it off, and it wasn't a big deal."
The bizarre sequence led many to wonder if that was the case. But since the Cardinals never officially complained, they simply had to accept the fact that they managed only four hits and did not score until the ninth inning.
"This is the best competition, you're playing for the world championship," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who initially refused to discuss the issue. "There was an indication from the clubhouse that something is going on with the pitcher.
"I have a decision to make, and I decided that I was not going to be part of (garbage) where I was going to ask the umpire to go to the mound and undress the pitcher. Now, what was I going to do? I alerted him. I said I hope it gets fixed, if it doesn't get fixed, then I'll take the next step."
The bottom line in the whole controversy is that the series is tied at one game apiece and Rogers probably will not pitch again until Game Six.
On Tuesday, the focus will shift to Carpenter (2-1, 3.70 ERA), who is coming off his first loss of the postseason.
The All-Star righthander had been 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his playoff career prior to the National League Championship Series, when he surrendered five runs in five innings of an eventual 9-6 victory over the New York Mets in Game Two and was charged with two runs in six frames of a 4-2 defeat in Game Six.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has been at his best at home this season. He went 8-4 with a 1.81 ERA here during the regular season and also won his lone playoff start at new Busch Stadium, yielding two runs in the NL division series-clinching victory over San Diego.
"Obviously pitching at home in front of your fans in your home stadium, it's nice," Carpenter said. "It's fun, it's a nice place to pitch. I like pitching in this park and I'm looking forward to (Tuesday) night."
Carpenter was shelled in his only start against the Tigers this year, giving up a season-high seven runs in seven innings of a 10-6 setback on June 3. He is just 3-4 with a 7.03 ERA in 11 career starts vs. Detroit.
The Tigers will counter with Nate Robertson (1-1, 5.91), who has not pitched in two weeks. His last start came in Game One of the American League Championship Series against Oakland, when the lefthander pitched five scoreless innings in a 5-1 triumph.
"Actually, the rest that I got these last couple of weeks has been great," Robertson said. "We were kind of talking about it the other day with spring training adding on innings, I'm looking at somewhere around 240 innings. So it's nice to have a little bit of a break."
His only other playoff start was in the opener of the ALDS, when the New York Yankees torched him for seven runs and 12 hits in 5 2/3 frames.
Robertson, who never has faced the Cardinals, was 13-13 with a 3.84 ERA during the regular season. He has made both of his postseason outings on the road after going 6-5 with a 3.47 ERA away from home during the regular campaign.
