World Series matchups

A position-by-position look at the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox going into the World Series, starting Saturday night at Fenway Park:

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First Base

Cardinals: Albert Pujols. Voted MVP of the NLCS, hitting 14-for-28 with four homers and a team-high nine RBIs, and is hitting .442 in postseason with six homers and 14 RBIs, both team highs. He's only third player in major league history to drive in 500 runs in his first four seasons, joining Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Underrated on defense, showing off a fine glove and good footwork.

Red Sox: Kevin Millar/David Ortiz. Millar, Boston's quote machine, usually provides extra pop (18 homers, 74 RBIs) in already powerful lineup but hit just .250 in ALCS with two RBIs. Often replaced by defensive whiz Doug Mientkiewicz in late innings. When there is no DH at Busch Stadium, Ortiz will take over at 1B.

Edge: Cardinals.

Second Base

Cardinals: Tony Womack. Resurrected career after a spring training trade from the Red Sox that netted Boston only a minor league pitcher, and has sparked the top of the lineup. Glovework sometimes shaky, as indicated by his 15 errors. Arm strength no longer a factor after weak start following offseason elbow surgery. Red Sox: Mark Bellhorn. A switch-hitter with some power, struck out a franchise-record 177 times but walked 88 times. Was 1-for-11 with five walks in first-round sweep of Anaheim and 5-for-26 with five RBIs against the Yankees -- including the three-run homer that proved decisive in Game 6. Slick-fielding Pokey Reese comes in for defense.

Edge: Cardinals.

Shortstop

Cardinals: Edgar Renteria. Had slight drop-off offensively, batting .287 after a .330, 100-RBI year last season and was 2-for-24 (.167) in the NLCS. Good range, strong arm.

Red Sox: Orlando Cabrera. Former Gold Glove winner has helped solidify defense after replacing fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra. He batted .379 in the ALCS with five RBIs.

Edge: Cardinals.

Third Base

Cardinals: Scott Rolen. Likely would have been NL MVP at All-Star break, and cleanup hitter was key to team taking control of Central. Dogged by injuries to left knee, left calf in second half, he was 0-for-12 against Los Angeles in the first round, then batted .310 (9-for-29) with three homers and six RBIs in NLCS. Defensively, has no peer.

Red Sox: Bill Mueller. Last year's AL batting champ was slowed by knee injury this season but went 4-for-12 in division series and had the tying single off Mariano Rivera in Game 4 of the ALCS.

Edge: Cardinals.

Catcher

Cardinals: Mike Matheny. Among best defensively at his position and prized for his handling of pitching staff. Tied Pujols for team lead with five RBIs in division series, then went 2-for-19 (.105) in the NLCS.

Red Sox: Jason Varitek. Leadership means even more than consistent numbers he puts up. Switch-hitter connected for big homer in Game 2 against Angels and had the tying sacrifice fly in Game 5 of the ALCS against Rivera.

Edge: Red Sox.

Left Field

Cardinals: Reggie Sanders. Average defensively, but took move from right to left after August deal for Larry Walker without grumbling. Fifth time in the playoffs. Hit just 4-for-21 (.190) with no RBIs in NLCS.

Red Sox: Manny Ramirez. MVP candidate led league in HRs (43) and slugging percentage (.613). Batted .385 with one HR and seven RBIs in first round against Angels, then was 9-for-30 against the Yankees but failed to get any RBIs. An adventure on defense.

Edge: Red Sox.

Center Field

Cardinals: Jim Edmonds. Hit 42 homers, one off franchise record for left-handed hitters set by Johnny Mize in 1940, and had two homers and seven RBIs in NLCS. Can be streaky. Acrobatic, one of best at his position.

Red Sox: Johnny Damon. Speedy leadoff hitter quietly enjoyed big season (.380 OBP, 20 HRs, 94 RBIs, 123 runs). He went 7-for-15 (.467) against Angels, then was 3-for-29 against the Yankees before his second-inning grand slam broke open Game 7, then added an upper-deck homer. Red Sox will need him to get on and use his speed.

Edge: Cardinals.

Right Field

Cardinals: Larry Walker. Three-time NL batting champion, acquired from Colorado on Aug. 6, was final piece to game's best lineup, thriving in second slot ahead of Pujols. Hit .241 (7-for-29) with two homers and five RBIs in NLCS and is batting .273 in postseason with four homers and eight RBIs.

Red Sox: Trot Nixon. Injuries limited him to 48 games this year, but now he's healthy and plenty dangerous. Averaged 26 HRs and 90 RBIs from 2001-03. Made several excellent defensive plays in ALCS, including a sliding catch that prevented the Yankees from breaking open Game 4, but hit .207 (6-for-29) with one homer and three RBIs. Edge: Cardinals.

Designated Hitter

Cardinals: John Mabry, who had just seven at-bats and one hit in the first two rounds of the postseason, is the most likely candidate, with Marlon Anderson (1-for-6, .167 in postseason) another possibility.

Red Sox: David Ortiz. Bats behind Ramirez to give Boston fearsome duo in middle of lineup. Hit .301 with 41 HRs and team-leading 139 RBIs. Went 6-for-11 (.545) with three extra-base hits in first round, winning series with 10th-inning homer in Game 3, then was MVP of the LCS with three homers and 11 RBIs, including winning extra-inning hits in Games 4 and 5 and the go-ahead homer in Game 7.

Edge: Red Sox.

Starting Pitching

Cardinals: RH Woody Williams, RH Jason Marquis, RH Matt Morris, RH Jeff Suppan. The rotation was the reason St. Louis was picked to finish third in the Central behind the Cubs and Astros. Instead, Marquis (15 wins), Suppan (16) and injured Chris Carpenter (15) put together career years. Carpenter is still out with nerve damage in his right biceps and Morris has had up-and-down season, leaving Williams as the de facto ace. St. Louis wouldn't commit to the order of its rotation beyond Williams in the opener.

Red Sox: RH Tim Wakefield, RH Curt Schilling, RH Pedro Martinez, RH Derek Lowe. After the knuckleballing Wakefield (12-10, 4.87) starts the opener, Schilling (21-6, 3.26 ERA) starts in Game 2. He tied the ALCS for Boston with a gutsy performance in Game 6, pitching with an ankle tendon held down by three sutures. Martinez (16-9, 3.90), who pitches Game 3, has struggled when he goes past 100 pitches. Derek Lowe (14-12, 5.42) was awful for much of the season but gave Boston a decent performance in Game 4 against the Yankees, then held New York to one run in the first six innings of Game 7.

Edge: Red Sox.

Relief Pitching

Cardinals: RH Jason Isringhausen, RH Julian Tavarez, LH Ray King, LH Steve Kline, RH Kiko Calero, RH Dan Haren, RH Cal Eldred. St. Louis' bullpen had a 3.01 ERA, best in the NL. Isringhausen had career-best 47 saves in 54 opportunities, and manager Tony La Russa can lefty-righty the opposition with Tavarez, King and Kline. Haren, who'll likely be in the rotation next year, is long relief insurance in case one of the starters struggle.

Red Sox: RH Keith Foulke, RH Mike Timlin, LH Alan Embree, RH Derek Lowe, LH Mike Myers, RH Curtis Leskanic. Foulke (5-3, 2.17, 32/39 saves) is far from automatic, but he has help in deep bullpen that was the key to LCS victory, shutting out the Yankees for the final six innings of Game 4 and final eight innings of Game 5.

Edge: Even.

Bench

Cardinals: UT Marlon Anderson, UT John Mabry, OF Roger Cedeno, UT Hector Luna, C Yadier Molina, OF So Taguchi. There's a lot of flexibility with this group. Luna has played five positions, Mabry four. Anderson tied for NL lead with 17 pinch-hits. Taguchi is often a late defensive replacement and is also the team's best bunter. Cedeno had 11 pinch-hits and St. Louis was 24-14 in his rare starts. Red Sox: 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, INF Pokey Reese, OF Dave Roberts, OF Gabe Kapler, 3B Kevin Youkilis, C Doug Mirabelli. Strong group with stellar gloves and plenty of experience, other than Youkilis. Not much power, though. Roberts provides speed. Mirabelli can hit. He catches Wakefield. Edge: Cardinals.

Manager

Cardinals: Tony La Russa. This is his 10th postseason appearance and it's one of his best managing jobs, as evidenced by the team's major league-leading 105 wins despite an unspectacular pitching staff.

Red Sox: Terry Francona. In his first season after replacing Grady Little, he led his team to a surge after Aug. 16 and Boston finished 98-64, winning the AL wild card. His moves to patch his pitching in Games 4, 5, 6 and 7 against the Yankees all worked out, although his decision to use Martinez with a big lead in relief in Game 7 was bizarre and could have led to a collapse.

Edge: Cardinals.

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Prediction

Cardinals in 7 -- in the end, history will repeat

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AP Sports Writers Ben Walker and Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.