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• World Series Game 3 - The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals split the first two games of the World Series in Fenway Park with the Sox winning Game 1, 8-1, and the Cards battling back for a 4-2 win in Game 2. The Series shifts to Busch Stadium tonight for Game 3 which features right-hander Joe Kelly on the mound for the home team and righty Jake Peavy on the hill for the visiting Sox. Kelly, 25, is (0-1) in three postseason starts this fall, with a 4.14 ERA over 16 1/3 IP in which opposing hitters have put up a .281/.352/.406 line. Peavy, 32, is (0-1) with an 8.31 ERA in two starts and 8 2/3 IP over which hitters have a .294/.351/.382 line.
Kelly hasn't started since October 16th in LA. The right-hander told reporters on Friday that he is inspired to go out and try to match or best what rookie right-hander Michael Wacha was able to do in Game 2 with the Red Sox. "To see Michael Wacha go out and do that, it's almost like what we've been doing the whole year," Kelly explained. "I want to go out there and either outperform him or do just as well.
"When we push each other like that, it's very fun to see, and we're extremely happy that the starter before us or the starter after us is like, 'Hey, man, I set the bar, let's see what you can do.' It's a little game we play with each other."
Peavy is coming off a three-inning outing against the Tigers in Game 4 of the ALCS in which he allowed five hits, three walks and seven earned runs. The Sox' right-hander told the press on Friday that he's determined to bounce back from that start and help Boston take a lead in the Series. "This is what I've lived for my whole life is to‑‑ my whole baseball career, I should say, to have this opportunity to go out there on the biggest stage and have a chance to help your team win a World Series game and a World Series title."
"I'm as prepared as I'll ever be," Peavy continued, "physically, mentally, and we'll go out there tomorrow night and see if we can execute pitch by pitch, and find a way to win."
Coverage of Game 3 of the 2013 World Series starts at 7:30 PM EDT tonight. First pitch should be around 8:00 PM...