The Nationals finished the 2012 MLB Season with a league-leading 98 wins.
The Nationals finished the 2012 MLB Season with a league-leading 98 wins.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals are set to play Game Two of their 2012 MLB playoff series.

The NLDS matchup will get underway at Busch Stadium at 4:37 p.m. ET. It will air nationally on TBS. If you can’t get to a TV, you can watch a live stream online at mlb.com for $4.99. The package allows you to watch all the ALDS, NLDS and ALCS games online.

St. Louis is looking to avoid going to Washington down 2-0. The Nationals took Game One on Sunday 3-2, scoring two runs in the top of the eighth to take a late lead.

Now, the Cardinals turn to Jaime Garcia to even up the series. The right-hander went 7-7 with a 3.92 earned run average in 20 regular season starts. He improved over the second half of the season, pitching to a 3.25 ERA after the All-Star break.

Jordan Zimmerman gets the call for the Nationals. He had a 2.94 ERA during the regular season.

Stephen Strasburg might have been slated to start the contest if Washington hadn’t shut him down for the year. He made his final start on Sept. 7 after he reached the innings limit that the team set for him.

Zimmerman outpitched Garcia this year, but he doesn’t have the same experience as his counterpart. The Nationals starter is making his postseason debut, but Garcia has made multiple playoff appearances. He made five starts in 2011 en route to the Cardinals World Series victory.

Neither pitcher is particularly good against their opponent. Garcia gave up six runs in his only game against the Nationals in 2012. Zimmerman struggled mightily against the Cardinals. His worst start of the season came against St. Louis, when he allowed eight runs in less than four innings.

Betting Line: St. Louis -115, Washington +105

Prediction: This should be another close game. The Nationals don’t have an overpowering offense, but they have a few hitters who have had some success against Garcia. Zimmerman was one of the best pitchers in the National League during the regular season. Look for him to shut down the Cardinals.

Predicted Score: Washington 4, St. Louis 2

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