SAN FRANCISCO -- St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny never announced his Game 7 starter, hoping he'd never need to.
He needs to.
The Giants forced Game 7 with a 6-1 victory Sunday night, and it was Cardinals' Game 3 starter Kyle Lohse who took the podium to field questions on the decisive game scheduled for Monday at 5:07 p.m.
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SIGN UP HERE "I usually don't sleep before I start anyways," Lohse said, "so it's not going to change my routine. I've known these guys. Now we've played 'em six games. I've seen enough of them, so I know what I need to do to be successful. I know last time I didn't have my best stuff and I was still able to stay away from the big inning.
"I know what I need to do, it's just a matter of going out there and doing it.
Lohse pitched 5 23 strong innings in St. Louis to earn the win over Matt Cain in Game 3. He scattered seven hits, but was able to strand Giants runners and escape with only one earned run. He walked five and struck out two.
Matt Holliday went 0-for-4 that game, and it's possible the Cards will go without contribution from him again.
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Holliday was a late scratch Sunday due to back tightness, and Matheny's postgame words did not instill confidence that he'd be ready to go Monday night.
"We'll see tomorrow," Matheny said. "His back tightened up even a little more as we went through the game, so we'll see when we get here tomorrow. ... Somebody else has to step up.'"
That somebody appears to be Matt Carpenter, who entered Game 3 when Carlos Beltran left with injury and started Sunday after Holliday was scratched. Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a walk hitting in the two-spot in Game 6.