One might think that the St. Louis Cardinals are due

for a fall after nine consecutive series wins.Don’t run that theory by first baseman and MVP candidate Matt Carpenter.“I don’t know why it shouldn’t last the rest of the year David Freese Jersey ,” he said Sunday after a 12-3 win at Colorado capped a 5-1 road trip and made them 22-7 since July 27. “I don’t see why it couldn’t.”Article continues below ...Carpenter and St. Louis will get a chance to test that theory Tuesday night when they welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates for the opener of a three-game series in Busch Stadium.The Cardinals (72-58) own the National League’s first wild-card spot and sit four games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. They also have a home-heavy schedule in the season’s last five weeks, playing 19 of their final 31 games in front of friendly fans. They have just one road trip longer than three games for the year’s remainder.For a team that is 11-4 at home under interim manager Mike Shildt, the chance to spend most of the year’s remainder in familiar surroundings has to be an advantage. Then again, St. Louis fans were last heard turning Coors Field into Busch Stadium West in the last few innings on Sunday, even chanting “MVP” as Carpenter did a postgame interview on FS Midwest.“That was cool to hear the fans, especially as many as we had here today,” Carpenter said. “It was a neat experience.”Watching Jack Flaherty (7-6, 2.97 ERA) pitch has been a neat experience at times. The rookie right-hander, who takes the mound for the series opener, has received the endorsement of none other than Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, who probably likes how Flaherty works inside with purpose.Flaherty had everything going for him in his last start Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Dodgers, although he settled for a no-decision in a 3-1 Cardinals win. Flaherty took a no-hitter into the sixth inning for the third time this year before a Joc Pederson homer knee-capped that bid.In Flaherty’s last four starts Tyler Glasnow Jersey , including a 2-1 win on Aug. 5 at Pittsburgh, he was allowed just 10 hits and two runs in 25 innings, walking nine and whiffing 33. He has faced the Pirates four times this year, going 2-1 with a no-decision.Opposing him will be veteran right-hander Ivan Nova (7-8, 4.20), who has pitched well in his last three starts but is just 1-2 despite giving up no more than two runs in each game. Nova permitted only four hits and two runs in six innings Wednesday night against Atlanta at PNC Park but suffered a 6-1 defeat.The former New York Yankees pitcher’s last appearance against St. Louis resulted in an 8-4 loss on Aug. 4, when he gave up eight hits and four runs in four innings, walking three and fanning three.Pittsburgh (64-67) has lost seven of 10 to fall out of contention in the division and wild-card races. After squaring their American League Championship Series with a nail-biting 7-5 victory in Game 2, the Boston Red Sox are going to attempt to keep their postseason road winning streak intact.The Red Sox clinched the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees with back-to-back wins at Yankee Stadium. Now they have to beat the Astros at least once on the road if they are going to advance to the World Series.The Red Sox will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound at Minute Maid Park, and he will face Dallas Keuchel of the Astros. Eovaldi was a midseason acquisition of the Red Sox in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.The 28-year-old was 6-7 with a 3.81 earned-run average this season, and he was brilliant for Boston in the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.He allowed five hits and one run in seven innings, and the key to his performance was his control. He did not walk a batter and struck out five while dominating the strike zone throughout the night.Eovaldi has a career record of 1-1 with a 3.19 ERA against the Astros.Keuchel was 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-adam-frazier-jersey , and he has been a mainstay for the Astros during the last three seasons. The 30-year-old gave up two earned runs in five innings in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians. The Houston mainstay has a career 3.28 postseason ERA in nine starts.American League Championship SeriesScheduleGame 1: Astros 7,Red Sox 2; Astros lead 1-0Game 2: Red Sox 7, Astros 5; Series tied 1-1Game 3: Red Sox at Astros; Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 5:09p.m. ET on TBSGame 4: Red Sox at Astros; Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 8:39p.m. ET on TBSGame 5: Red Sox at Astros; Thursday, Oct. 18 at 8:09p.m. ET on TBS*Game 6: Astros at Red Sox; Saturday, Oct. 20 at 5:09p.m. ET on TBS*Game 7: Astros at Red Sox; Sunday, Oct. 21 at 7:39p.m. ET on TBS*If necessary.The Red Sox hope to do what the Milwaukee Brewers did Monday night, as the Crew went on the road after splitting the first two games at home and won Game 3.Pitcher List PitcherListquot;How did Jhoulys Chacin perform so well?quot;Showcasing perfect command like this slider to Max Muncy.Right. On. The. Corner. Yk5AZbNzzHThe Brewers received brilliant pitching from starter Jhoulys Chacin and four relievers as they shut down the Dodgers by a 4-0 score.Orlando Arcia, who hit three home runs during the regular season, struck his third long ball of the postseason for the Brewers.The Brewers were in firm control from the start as the Dodgers hitters could not mount any kind of serious attack against the Milwaukee pitchers until the ninth inning. Jeremy Jeffers gave up two ninth inning hits and a walk to load the bases, but he struck out Brian Dozier with the bases loaded to end the game.Chacin pitched 5.1 innings and gave up just three hits and two walks. Corey Knebel did not allow a base runner in 1.2 innings Chad Kuhl Jersey , and Joakim Soria retired the only hitter he faced in the eighth inning.Ace left-handed reliever Josh Hader got the final two outs of the eighth, and Brewers manager Craig Counsell decided the four-run cushion was large enough that he did not have to use Hader for the ninth.The Brewers survived that decision, but the bases-loaded situation created quite a bit of angst.Knebel credited Chacin for his dominant start. "The guy is a beast," he told Fran Charles of the MLB Network. "He is attacking hitters. We all know how tough that lineup is over there. Chacin doesn't care and he just does his job."The Dodgers will try to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole by winning Game 4 at home Wednesday night. Manager Dave Roberts will send Rich Hill to the mound to get that victory, while the Brewers will depend on their bullpen to get the job done.Counsell will give the ball to Gio Gonzalez to start, and a parade of relievers are likely to follow.National League Championship SeriesScheduleGame 1: Brewers 6, Dodgers 5; Brewers lead 1-0Game 2: Dodgers 4, Brewers 3; Series tied 1-1Game 3: Brewers 4, Dodgers 0, Brewers lead 2-1Game 4: Brewers at Dodgers; Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 9:09p.m. ET on FS1Game 5: Brewers at Dodgers; Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 5:05p.m. ET on FS1*Game 6: Dodgers at Brewers; Friday http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-ivan-nova-jersey , Oct. 19 at 8:39p.m. ET on FS1*Game 7: Dodgers at Brewers; Saturday, Oct. 20 at 9:09p.m. ET on FS1*If necessary.NBC Sports NBCSportsNathan Eovaldi to start Game 3 of the ALCS for the Red Sox. b3gBVASKM4 M41MepdchSPredictionsThe Red Sox and Astros are likely to throw figurative punches at each other for seven games. Boston must win one of the next three games in Houston to get the ALCS back to Fenway Park, and we expect that to happen.However, the Astros appear to have the advantage in Game 3 with Keuchel over Eovaldi.Keuchel has been on the postseason stage many times, and while Eovaldi performed well against the Yankees, the Astros can dominate against the fastball, and it will be difficult for the Red Sox starter to hold them in check.The Red Sox will win one of the following two games in Houston and then finish the series with victories in Games 6 and 7 at home.The Brewers answered quite a few questions with their Game 3 win in Los Angeles. Their 12-game winning streak ended with their Game 2 loss at Miller Park, but the Brewers came back with a sharp victory in Game 3.The Dodgers are facing near-desperation after losing Game 3, and they will find a way to win Game 4.This is also a seven-game series, and the Brewers will survive and advance as they win their first National League pennant and progress to their second World Series. (The Brewers were in the American League when they made it to the 1982 World Series).