Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled mightily at the plate during the National League Championship Series. It is certainly unfamiliar territory for a team that led the NL with 783 runs in 2013. There is no question the offense must come alive in Game 4 in order for the Cardinals to get back on track.
St. Louis has recorded just four runs and a .134 opponent’s batting average in three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The fact that they are leading the series 2-1 is amazing considering the numbers. However, it definitely has to be a concern going forward, especially after the Dodgers gained momentum after their victory Monday night.
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“I don’t know,” David Freese told Cardinals.com when asked how St. Louis could get it going offensively. “We just wake up tomorrow and come ready to go. We’re fortunate that we won the first two, and obviously [it was] a tough loss today, but we’ve got to get the sticks going a little bit.”
Freese, who was the team’s hero during their World Series run in 2011, is questionable for Game 4 after he discovered some tightness in his calf.
“I think it’s just tight,” Freese said after Monday’s loss, according to Cardinals.com. “I don’t think I strained it too bad, but we’ll check it out tomorrow. I hope I can play tomorrow, but we’ll check it out.”
Even though the third baseman has collected just two hits in 10 at-bats, he is still a major threat that needs to be in the lineup for the Cardinals to be successful. His presence alone is enough to keep the Dodgers on their toes.
It is hard to say what St. Louis needs to do differently because the hitters are very talented. It is not as if they are trying to tap into some unfamiliar territory. The Cardinals are a very good offensive that has simply hit a rough patch at the worst possible time of the season. At this point, the sluggers must feed off each other and hope the stellar pitching can continue to play well.
