NLCS: Cards vs. Giants

Tonight’s Game 1: St. Louis Cardinals (Lynn 1-1, 7.36 ERA, 6 SO), San Francisco (Bumgarner 0-1, 8.31 ERA, 4 SO), 5 ( TV: Fox 28)

Matchup: The past two World Series champions meet to see who gets a chance to win this year’s crown. The Giants wiped out Texas in 2011, and the Cards edged the Rangers last year. … These teams have met twice in the NLCS. The Cardinals outlasted S.F. in seven games in 1987, then the Giants triumphed in five games in 2002.

Cardinals’ path: Down to their last strike, they rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to beat Washington 9-7 in the deciding Game 5 of the N.L. division series.

Giants’ path: The N.L. West champion Giants became the ninth team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-5 postseason series and first to do it by winning the final three games on the road, rallying past Cincinnati.

Associated Press