St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Carlos Beltran will play for the St. Louis
Cardinals when the team attempts to close out the San Francisco Giants in
Friday's Game 5 of the National League Championship Series.
Beltran, who exited Wednesday's Game 3 after one inning with a left knee
strain and sat out Thursday's 8-3 victory over the Giants as a result, will
start in right field and bat in his usual No. 2 spot in the St. Louis batting
order for Game 5.
The veteran switch-hitter suffered the injury while attempting to beat out a
double-play grounder in the bottom of the first inning of Game 3. Beltran was
replaced by Matt Carpenter, who came through with a two-run homer to help the
Cardinals to a 3-1 win on Wednesday.
Beltran has been one of the Cardinals' top performers during this postseason,
batting .400 (12-for-30) with three home runs and six RBI in eight games.
St. Louis took a 3-1 lead in the NLCS with Thursday's triumph in Game 4.
The Sports Network