MLB

The World Series is going to be tight. Both the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are talented but flawed teams. They match up well at nearly every position, which means things like execution and fundamentals could be key.

In Game 2, one play appeared more Little League than major league, allowing a couple of runs that could have been the difference in the game.

The 2013 World Series is all knotted up after the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals split the first two games. With the series now shifting to St. Louis, both teams are in desperation mode, as a 1-1 series signals the opportunity for momentum to be won in Game 3.

The question is, which players are under the most pressure to lead their teams as the World Series progresses?

The World Series, like any league's championship playoff round, is a time for fans to bathe in the hype surrounding their favorite team. The 2013 World Series involving the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals is no different from any sport in that regard.  

Apparently money can't buy everything. All it got the team with the highest payroll in baseball (by a mile) was an NL West division crown, the highest attendance in the game, a trip to the NLCS, and endless momentum for the foreseeable future.

But when the end goal is to win a World Series title, this all feels a little...pointless.

Jay Gatsby can buy all the beautiful things in the world, but none of it matters if he doesn't win Daisy Buchanan's love, right? 

The Free Agent Market could be open for business as early as next Monday, and while it had appeared to be shaping up late in the regular season, it turns out that it was far from settled. 

Pricey contract extensions for Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum, as well as rumored $100 million asking prices for Shin-Shoo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, indicate that teams may have to ante up big dollars for the best players on the market.  

Wearing a pattern fashioned from my grandma's throw pillow, Ryan Dempster boarded a plane for St. Louis. 

Really, you don't need a runway when there is a charter flight to Game 3 of the World Series to utilize. Dressed in the season's most stunning and fashion-forward suit, Dempster moved the conversation of plaid into baseball's consciousness where it belongs. 

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are tied at one game apiece in the 2013 World Series, and Game 3 should be fantastic.

The Sox took the first game in dominant fashion, but the Cardinals showed resiliency in taking Game 2 in Boston.

What are the keys going forward for both teams? What does each team need to do to win the series?

Read on to find out.

Boston Red Sox

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is probably wondering why he got snubbed when Rawlings announced the finalists for the 2013 Gold Glove Awards.

When you have two teams playing for a championship, the hope is the play on the field is clean to determine who is best without having to focus on mistakes being made. 

The 2013 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox hasn't followed that formula. It is tied one-all heading to St. Louis following two defensive miscues by the Red Sox in Game 2 that led to three runs for the Cardinals. 

We came into the 2013 World Series expecting a dramatic, drawn-out battle between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. With the teams tied at a game apiece and the action shifting to Busch Stadium, that's exactly what it's shaping up to be.

The Cards probably won't win three straight and bring the Fall Classic to a premature conclusion, but they should at least take command with two victories at home.

Let's review their greatest advantages going forward.