Did you realize that we haven’t had a game 7 in the World Series since 2002? These teams seem to be pretty evenly matched, so Tom Verducci discusses how we might finally get to seven:

Is this the World Series we’ve been waiting for? Is the longest wait for the best day in sports about to end?

The ingredients are in place for a World Series that is nine years in the making: one so evenly matched and tightly contested that it takes every possible game to decide it. Baseball has not seen a World Series Game 7 since 2002, when the Angels defeated the Giants. It was so long ago that steroids were in full swing, the last year without testing. Since the best-of-seven format permanently replaced the best-of-nine format in 1922, this is the longest drought without a Game 7 in World Series history.

Why not now? The tone was set by the Night of 162, in which the last two playoff sports were decided on the last day of the regular season with three games that ended in the last at-bat. Such drama was then followed by a record-tying three Sudden Death games in the Division Series — all of which were one-run games that went down to the last at-bat.

He goes on to explain how the team that wins Game 1 is 19-4 in for the title since 1987, so Game 1 is very important. On the other hand, neither team has a dominant pitching staff, so Verducci thinks this year might be different.

As for game one, the Cards are favored with Chris Carpenter facing C.J. Wilson. The Cardinals are also loaded with right-handed bats, and the Rangers will start three lefties.

I have no idea who will win this thing, but it’s been a fun season, so maybe we’ll get a great series.