Matchups

Catcher

Probable starters: Cardinals: Mike Matheny. Red Sox: Jason Varitek

Matchup: A switch hitter, Varitek is a gritty, hard-nosed catcher with a productive bat. During the season, he hit .296 with 18 homers and 73 RBIs. Varitek is reaching base at a .348 clip during the postseason. Matheny is a Gold Glove winner but has limited offensive capabilities. He hit .105 (2 for 19) with no RBIs and no extra-base hits in the NLCS. Edge: Red Sox

First base

Probable starters: Cardinals: Albert Pujols, Red Sox: Kevin Millar

Matchup: Pujols, the NLCS MVP, is arguably baseball’s best hitter behind Barry Bonds. He stung the Astros in the NLCS, going 14 for 28 (.500) with a 1.000 slugging percentage. He should finish among the top three in the N.L. MVP race. Defensively, Pujols has improved at first. The Red Sox will lift Millar for defense in the late innings. A former Marlin, Millar is a legitimate .300 hitter with average pop.

Edge: Cardinals

Second base

Probable starters: Cardinals: Tony Womack. Red Sox: Mark Bellhorn

Matchup: Womack is a prototypical leadoff hitter. He can steal bases and hit for average, but he doesn’t walk much. After a tough start in the NLCS, he finished strong with four hits in his last five at-bats. A .162 hitter this postseason, Bellhorn helped deliver the Red Sox to the World Series with homers in Games 6 and 7. He’s a discerning hitter with good power for a middle infielder. Edge: Cardinals

Third base

Probable starters: Cardinals: Scott Rolen. Red Sox: Bill Mueller

Matchup: Rolen is among baseball’s best all-around players. No one is better defensively at third, and he had a breakout season offensively, hitting .314 with 34 homers and 124 RBIs. He hit .310 in the NLCS. The 2003 batting champion, Mueller hit 42 points lower this season (.283). The switch-hitting Mueller reached base at a .365 clip. Just one of his 12 postseason hits has gone for extra bases. Edge: Cardinals

Shortstop

Probable starters: Cardinals: Edgar Renteria. Red Sox: Orlando Cabrera

Matchup: Renteria and Cabrera both are N.L. Gold Glove winners. Cabrera’s acquisition from the Expos greatly improved Boston’s defense. Cabrera has more power, but Renteria hits for higher average. Neither walks much. Cabrera has been one of his team’s more consistent offensive players this postseason, hitting .310 and reaching base at a .375 clip. After a nice division series, Renteria has contributed more with the glove. Edge: Cardinals

Left field

Probable starters: Cardinals: Reggie Sanders. Red Sox: Manny Ramirez

Matchup: Among the game’s best RBI guys, Ramirez failed to knock in a run during the ALCS. He still hit .300 in the series and is the most dangerous hitter in the Red Sox lineup. He’s reached base at a .392 clip this postseason. Sanders is a serviceable outfielder with plenty of playoff experience. He’s as capable of putting a mistake pitch in the seats as anybody. Edge: Red Sox

Center field

Probable starters: Cardinals: Jim Edmonds. Red Sox: Johnny Damon

Matchup: Gold Glove outfielder Edmonds makes spectacular catches regularly. His over-the-shoulder, diving grab was pivotal in Game 7 of the NLCS. Offensively he batted .301 with 42 homers and 111 RBIs. Damon does plenty of things well, including hitting for power, running the bases and playing defense. His 94 RBIs were third on the club behind Ramirez and David Ortiz. Edge: Cardinals

Right field

Probable starters: Cardinals: Larry Walker. Red Sox: Trot Nixon

Matchup: Walker is a perennial All-Star and Gold Glove winner. He may no longer be able to carry a team offensively, but he’s a tremendous weapon in the No. 2 hole. Four of Walker’s seven NLCS hits went for extra bases. Nixon is a gritty player who appeared in just 48 games due to injury. When healthy, he can hit for average and power and has a knack for reaching base. Edge: Cardinals

Designated hitter

Probable starters: Cardinals: Roger Cedeno. Red Sox: David Oritz

Matchup: Ortiz is an MVP candidate and was the Red Sox’s offensive catalyst in the ALCS. He’s driven in 15 postseason runs after racking up the second-highest RBI total in the majors (139). The switch-hitting Cedeno hit almost 100 points higher left-handed than right-handed. He appeared in 95 games during the regular season (200 at-bats) and batted .265 with three homers and 23 RBIs.

Edge: Red Sox

Rotation

Probable starters: Cardinals: Woody Williams, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, Matt Morris. Red Sox: Tim Wakefield, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe

Matchup: Cardinals starters didn’t have jaw-dropping regular-season earned-run averages, but four of them won 15 or more games. Without Chris Carpenter, the rotation went 2-1 with a 3.92 ERA in the NLCS. The Red Sox feature a perennial Cy Young winner in Martinez and Schilling, who could win his first this year. A sinkerballer, Lowe looks revitalized after his Game 7 effort. Edge: Red Sox

Bullpen

Key relievers: Cardinals: Jason Isringhausen, Julian Tavarez, Ray King, Kiko Calero. Red Sox: Keith Foulke, Mike Timlin, Alan Embree, Bronson Arroyo

Matchup: The Cardinals relief staff was the N.L.’s best. Isringhausen, who saved three NLCS games and blew one opportunity, tied for the league lead in saves. Tavarez and Calero performed well in setup roles. The Red Sox tied for the A.L.’s third-best ERA, and they were largely responsible for getting the Red Sox through a pair of extra-inning ALCS games and into the World Series. Edge: Red Sox