Hamilton Signs Five-Year Deal With Angels

Josh Hamilton will be hitting home runs for the Los Angeles Angels, rather than against them beginning next season. (Jim Cowsert)

Josh Hamilton has been a brute force in the AL West for the past five seasons. He will continue to be one for at least the next five seasons as well. The only change will be the uniform he is wearing. Hamilton has left the Texas Rangers to sign with their division rivals, the Los Angeles Angeles. The contract is a five-year deal worth $125 million.

According to the Rangers, they never got an opportunity to match the Angels offer. However, they made it clear from the very beginning that re-signing Hamilton wasn't a priority. Now, they will have to pay the price when they face the Angels each season. The answer on how to fill Hamilton's spot in the lineup isn't clear either. Craig Gentry will likely fill in defensively in center field, but doesn't have the bat to make up for Hamiliton's power bat at all. The Rangers will also be in the market for a designated hitter. Adam LaRoche and Nick Swisher are potential free agent options.

The Angels make another huge free agent signing here. Hamilton will now be paired with Pujols to give the Halos a 1-2 punch of former MVPs in the heart of their linuep. Add that to likes of Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales and the Angels have one of the best power lineups in baseball in the short term. Pair that with a solid rotation and they have positioned themselves for a run at the postseason. However, nothing is guaranteed as we found out with last season's Angels.

The other concern for the Angels is the length of these contracts they are giving out. While Pujols and Hamilton have been two of the best hitters in baseball, both have shown signs of declining as they get older. Health concerns are always there with Hamilton as well. He is leaving an evironment he had grown comfortable in. The Angels must work to quickly build trust and integrity between themselves and their new star.

It will be interesting to see how Hamilton does with a change in scenery. It is yet to be seen how much of an impact the slugger will have on the success of the Angels. Also, the reaction of the Rangers is still uncertain as well. We will have to wait and see how this affects the face of baseball over the next several seasons.

MLB Postseason Preview & Predictions

In Friday's AL Wild Card Game, the Orioles will rely on newly acquired starting pitcher Joe Saunders. (Ben Margot)

For each of the ten playoff teams, 162 games are in the books. Two of the teams will only play one more game. Others wait to find out where they will play their next game. Regardless, I am going to go ahead and predict what I think is going to happen for the entire postseason. Call me crazy if you wish, but what do I have to lose.

AL Wild Card Game - Baltimore Orioles @ Texas Rangers - Friday, 8:37 PM EST, TBS

This is a very difficult pick because you don't know what you will get with either team. The Orioles are a young, inexperienced team that must go on the road to play in a high intensity atmosphere. They will turn newly acquired Joe Saunders on the mound. He has pitched well as of late, but has struggled badly against the Rangers in his career. Speaking of the Rangers, they lost nine of their last thirteen games to put themselves in this situation. They will give the ball to rookie Yu Darvish. He been very good lately as well, but will be making his postseason debut.

Prediction: Rangers 3 Orioles 1

NL Wild Card Game - St. Louis Cardinals @ Atlanta Braves - Friday, 5:07 PM EST, TBS

For much of the season, people wondered if the Cardinals would have a chance to defend their status as reigning World Series Champions. They turned it on at the right time in the season to earn the NL's second wild card spot. They will turn to Kyle Lohse to the decisive game. If you told me before the season that Lohse would finish the regular season with a 16-3 record and an ERA of 2.86, I would have told you that you were absolutely crazy, but that is exactly he has accomplished. The Braves successfully avoided the meltdown they experienced last year when they missed the playoffs. They will have Kris Medlen on the mound. While this may seem like an interesing choice, the Braves haven't lost one of his starts in over two years.

Prediction: Braves 5 Cardinals 2

AL Divisional Series - New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers - Begins October 7

Since I have already talked about the Rangers, I will focus on the Yankees here. With the Orioles in hot pursuit, the Yankees had to be superb baseball to remain in first. Second baseman Robinson Cano is one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Raul Ibanez has added some clutch hits. The Yankees pitching has improved lately as well.

Prediction: Yankees 3-1

AL Divisional Series - Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers - Begins October 6

How about them Athletics? In the stretch of three months, they have gone from 13 games out to winning the AL West. Without any real superstars and the lowest AL payroll. The Tigers held off the Chicago White Sox to win the AL Central. They must now look for a way to slow done the Athletics for one game.

Prediction: Tigers 3-2

NL Divisional Series - Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves - Begins October 7

Since the Braves have already been discussed, the focal point is here to look at the Nationals. Their magical season has earned their team home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. A balanced offense is pushed by a talented pitching staff, lead by Gio Gonzalez.

Prediction: Nationals 3-2

NL Divisional Series - Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants - Begins October 6

The Reds have simply played balanced baseball this season. A mostly consistent pitching staff and reliable lineup allow them to easily win the NL Central. The Giants have had their share of ups and downs this season. While certain players have struggled and are no longer available, others have stepped up to fill their holes.

Prediction: Giants 3-2

AL Conference Series - New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers - Begins October 13

While the Tigers may have better individual players, such as Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander, I believe that the Yankees are the better team from top to bottom.

Prediction: Yankees 4-2

NL Conference Series - Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants - Begins October 14

The main difference in this matchup is experience. How much of factor does it play? With a matchup this close, I've decided to use that as my deciding factor.

Prediction: Giants 4-2

World Series - New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants - Begins October 24

This would be an excellent matchup in all aspects of the game. When it comes down to separating the two sides, I believe that the Yankees have more depth in their lineup and pitching staff.

Prediction: Yankees 4-1

Bottomline: I am predicting the New York Yankees to win the World Series.

Athletics Beat Rangers to Force Decisive 162nd Game

Athletics starting pitcher Travis Blackely threw six innings of three-hit ball in his team's win over the Rangers.  (Ben Margot)

The Oakland Athletics had trailed the Texas Rangers for almost the entire season. Entering tonight's match, they were one game back in the AL West, but the odds seemed to be against them with starting pitcher Travis Blackely on the mound. In his last start, just five days ago, the Rangers knocked him out of the game on five runs in the first inning. Blackely looked to bounce back tonight with his team's divisional dreams on the line.

Blackley looked good Tuesday night, but it was the Rangers who got on the board first. In the top of the third, outfielder Josh Hamilton doubled home second baseman Ian Kinsler. That was the last hit Blackley gave up. He threw six innings of three-hit ball, allowing only the one run. The Athletics offense came alive in support of his efforts.

In the bottom of the fifth, catcher Derek Norris plated two on a RBI single. One inning later, it was Jonny Gomes, the designated hitter, hitting a solo shot to increase the Athletics' lead to 3-1. The A's bullpen was superb in support of Blackley as well. Sean Doolittle threw a scoreless seventh inning, Ryan Cook threw a scoreless eighth, and Grant Balfour threw a three up, three done ninth for his 24th save of the season.

A night after clinching their first playoff berth since 2006, things got even better for the Athletics. After trailing the Rangers by 13 games in the AL West on June 30, the A's have battled all the way back to tie the Rangers for the division lead. This means that the winner of tomorrow afternoon's season finale at 3:35 pm EST will win the AL West and avoid the Wild Card Game. The Athletics have taken a share of the division lead for the first time since March 29. One win tomorrow and none of that will matter.

Beltre's Three Home Runs Power Rangers Past Orioles

Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre connects for his first of three home runs against the Orioles Thursday evening. (Tim Heitman)

In Wednesday evening's game, the Texas Rangers crushed the Baltimore Orioles 12-3. One of the main reasons they won so big was the performance by third baseman Adrian Beltre. In each of Beltre's first three at-bats Wednesday evening, he smoked a home run to a different parts of the park. The accomplishment is particularly notable for Adrian Beltre because he has done it before. I will simply list a few of the many notable features of his distinguished accomplishment.

• Beltre's three home runs, which all occurred during the first four innings of the game, totaled an impressive 1,187 feet (average of 396 feet per home run) in total distance.
• Beltre hit two home runs in the fourth inning. He became just the second player in Rangers history to hit two home runs in the same inning.
• This is the second time Beltre has hit three home runs in a game. The last time was Game 4 of the 2011 ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays.
• This means that Beltre joins the company of Albert Pujols, George Brett, Reggie Jackson, and Babe Ruth as the only players to have a three-homer game in both the regular season and postseason.
• In the second inning, Beltre hit his 20th home run of the season. With that milestone accomplished, he became just the ninth third baseman to hit 20 or more home runs in ten or more seasons.

You get the idea. What Adrian Beltre accomplished here is quite rare. The raw power displayed is impressive in any sense of the word. The Rangers apparently like to have their big individual hitting accomplishments against the Orioles. On May 9, outfielder Josh Hamilton hit four home runs in one game at Baltimore. Of course on Wednesday night, Beltre went off on Orioles pitching again. The Rangers are considered to have one of the most potent offenses in all of baseball. Nights like this tend to remind us exactly why that is.

Kuroda and Ichiro Come Up Huge During Homestand

New York Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda threw a pair of gems during this seven-game homestand. (Jason Szenes)

The New York Yankees keep finding ways to win baseball games, despite not having some of their best players due to injuries. One of the main reasons why is that other players have stepped up to help pick up the slack. During their seven game homestand that ended tonight, the Yankees went 5-2 against the Texas Rangers and rival Boston Red Sox. Two of the players that made probably the biggest difference during the homestand were starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.

When CC Sabathia returned to the disabled list with an elbow injury, the Yankees lost their clear ace and number one starter. Someone needed to step up and take control of the number two spot in the rotation. That someone appears to have become Kuroda. On last Tuesday, he faced off against one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, the Texas Rangers. Kuroda dominated that Rangers offense from start to finish while throwing a complete game. He limited the Rangers to two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

Kuroda returned to the mound for a second time during the homestand to face the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball. He retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced and then six of the next seven. Kuroda's only mistake was throwing a hanging slider to Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who turned into into a solo shot into the right field bleachers. Other than that, he was dominant in eight innings of work, giving up just four hits and the one run in eight innings of work.

Even though Ichiro Suzuki's numbers were down this season, the Yankees decided to take a chance on those improving by acquiring him from the Seattle Mariners. Sure enough, Suzuki has found his groove and seems to greatly enjoy playing with the Yankees. He particularly saw his numbers take off during this seven-game homestand. Tonight, Suzuki capped it all off with a rare display of his power. He cranked out two solo shots to help provide all the help Kuroda needed on the mound. During the entire homestand, Suzuki hit .526 with four runs, a double, a triple,  and two home runs. As a Yankee, Ichiro has a .301 average and has hit safely in 21 of 23 starts.

Even after other players return from injuries, the Yankees are going to need players to step up and make the crucial plays needed. Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki have done exactly that so far. If Kuroda continues to pitch like he has in his last two starts, he will be nearly impossible to hit. Suzuki has been a spark plug at times to his new ball club. The Yankees are reaping the benefits of these players and others making the differences needed. It will be interesting to watch Kuroda and Suzuki the rest of the season and into the postseason.

Brewers Plan on Trading Ace Zack Greinke

The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that they plan on trading their ace starting pitcher Zack Greinke. (Eric Hartline)

The Milwaukee Brewers brought in starting pitcher Zack Greinke to be their ace for a push for the postseason. Now that they appear to be in rebuilding mode, they plan on trading Greinke to another team for the exact same purpose. With teams looking for the key piece to put them over the top, many scouts have been busy observing and reporting on Greinke's work on the mound.

So far this season, Greinke boasts a 9-3 record with a 3.44 ERA. He has a great strike-to-walk ratio with a 144 strikeouts compared to only 28 walks. With Cole Hamels signing an extension with the Philadelphia Phillies and other pitchers getting injured and pulled off the trading block, Greinke has emerged as the top pitching target likely available.

As I already mentioned, many teams have sent scouts to observe Greinke, but there have been four ball clubs that have emerged as the frontrunners. The first two are the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels. While the rivals battle for the AL West lead, they are both looking for a piece to put them ahead of the other and the charging Oakland Athletics. Even though both the Rangers and Angles are certainly interested, they might be concerned that Greinke is in the last year of his contract.

The third team is the Chicago White Sox. They have been the surprise team in the AL Central. After surprisingly leading the division for much of the season, they have been passed by the division favorite Detroit Tigers. If the White Sox are going to keep pace, they need a difference maker. While a stud pitcher like Greinke could provide just that, they need to consider Greinke's anxiety issues. He prefers to shy away from the spotlight and pressure of pitching in a big city.

The fourth and final team is the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are pursuing the Washington Nationals for the lead in the NL East. With a young rotation, Greinke could provide the consistency that they need. Many believe that Atlanta is the preferred destination by Greinke himself. The Braves concern might be whether or not they have the money to resign him long term.

The Zack Greinke sweepstakes are well underway. Phones are ringing and GMs are losing sleep. With so many contenders looking for that key piece, anything is possible. Pitching always seems to be at a premium at the trade deadline. This year is no exception. With Greinke emerging as the ace of the available pitchers, the asking price will be high. It will be interesting to see which team is able to pull the trigger and bring him into their rotation.

Answering Some of Baseball's Biggest Second Half Questions

Will the Washington Nationals put an innings-limit on young phenom Stephen Strasburg? (Toni L. Sandys)

With the second half of the Major League Baseball's season about to get underway, I take a look at some of the biggest questions that remain to be answered.

1. Will the Pittsburgh Pirates make their first postseason appearance since 1992?
The Pirates had to be the biggest surprise of baseball's first half. After 19 consecutive losing seasons, the Pirates are 11 games over .500 and in first place in the NL Central. Star Andrew McCutchen is one of the leading contenders for NL MVP. Veteran A.J. Burnett is leading the starting rotation with 10 wins in his first season in Pittsburgh. The Pirates' bullpen has a major league best 2.63 ERA. With young prospects, such as outfielder Sterling Marte, nearing their debut, the Pirates seem primed for a postseason run. Manager Clint Hurdle appears to have his boys primed and ready. (To read more about the Pirates, check out my blog post about their first half.)


2. Will the Washington Nationals put an innings-limit on young phenom Stephen Strasburg?
One of the biggest questions for the young Nationals is what do with their young ace Strasburg. They of course want to be careful with him since he is coming off Tommy John Surgery. Prior to the beginning of the season, the Nationals said the would limit Strasburg to about 160 innings. They took a similar approach last season with another young stud pitcher Jordan Zimmerman. However, the big difference this year is that the Nationals are in first place. Strasburg has been vocal about his desire to stay in the rotation. The Nationals have to carefully weigh their short-term and long-term options.

3. Will the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies be able to overcome their rough first halves?
The Red Sox have been in a state of disarray since last September. New manager Bobby Valentine has yet to be able to solve the mystery of the Red Sox's troubles. Kevin Youkilis has traded in his sox for white ones. The team has be ravaged by injuries. The health of some key players, such as Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carl Crawford could make or break their season. The Phillies offense has been sputtering all season. The return of stars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley should only help things, but will it be enough. It may or may not. The Phillies also have to solve their pitching woes as well. Cliff Lee will likely need to win more than one game in the second half to help lead the Phillies out of the cellar of the NL East.

4. Will the trade deadline have an affect on the push for the postseason?
With teams pushing for the postseason and a chance at the World Series, the trade deadline can have a huge affect on their chances. Their are a number of quality starters who are rumored to be reportedly available. Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, Matt Garza, and Ryan Dempster are just some of the names out there. As far as hitters are concerned, the potential stud out there is Justin Upton. Upton still has so much potential, but is supposedly unhappy in Arizona. The Diamondbacks will be looking for a ton in return, but it could absolutely be worth it for the right contender.

5. Will Josh Hamilton win the AL's first Triple Crown since 1967?
Hamilton's first half numbers are impressive to say the least. His first half line of .308, 27 home runs, and 75 RBIs had people talking about a potential Triple Crown. However, Hamilton has significantly cooled off during June and so far in July. We can only hope that the All-Star Break provided the recharge he needed. The other concern with Hamilton is always his health. If Hamilton can remain healthy, you can never count out his chances of making history.

Oswalt Pitches into the Seventh in Rangers Debut

Veteran Roy Oswalt was effective in his Rangers' debut. (Rick Yeatts)

Roy Oswalt was one of this past offseason's most intriguing free agents. His injury history and inconsistency scared away some teams. But there were still plenty teams looking for a potential Oswalt rental for the latter part of this season. Due to injuries, the Texas Rangers had an opening in their rotation. They expressed their interest to Oswalt and his agent. The interest turned out to be mutual as Oswalt signed a deal to join the Rangers on May 29.

Following four rehab starts, Oswalt made his Rangers debut last night against the Colorado Rockies. The start was his first major league start in more than eight months. The Rangers offense helped support him from the onset. A home run by Adrian Beltre, a double by Nelson Cruz, and a homer by Mike Napoli, helped build a 4-0 lead. Oswalt did the rest from there. He pitched effectively into the seventh. While Oswalt did allow nine hits, he limited the damage well enough with just one walk and six strikeouts. Oswalt did run into some trouble in the seventh inning. He served up a double to Marco Scutaro, which drove home Dexter Fowler. That was the end of Oswalt's debut as a Ranger.

The Rangers did go on to win the game 4-1. Despite the long stretch of time off, Oswalt pitched quite well. Granted, the start was against the Rockies. A Rockies team that has lost thirteen of their last fifteen games. Additionally, the Rockies offensive struggles away from Coors Field have been well documented. Still, the start had to be encouraging for Oswalt and the Rangers. It will be interesting to see whether or not he will be able to regain his top form and stay healthy throughout the remainder of this season.

Rangers & Rays Offenses Explode in Wins

Rangers outfieler Nelson Cruz had 8 RBIs, including a grand slam. (David Klutho)

With the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays facing off this weekend, everyone expected a lot of power and runs to be scored, but I doubt anyone expected to see this. Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow lasted only 2/3 of an inning and gave up 6 runs. Josh Hamilton and Yorvit Torrealba both hit solo home runs the next two innings. The Rangers added three runs in the 6th, and Nelson Cruz capped things off with a grand slam in the 7th. The Rangers hammered out 18 hits and 14 runs. Cruz matched a career-high with 8 RBIs. The Blue Jays simply could not recover, ultimately losing the game 14-3.

After Franklin Morales threw behind Luke Scott, the benches cleared. (Charles Krupa)

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox really don't like each other. John Lester was on the mound for the Red Sox, but didn't have his A game. The Rays took Lester deep three times. Matt Joyce stuck the big blow with a grand slam in the 3rd. Elliot Johnson and Carlos Pena hit back-to-back bombs in the 4th. With the Rays leading 7-4 in the 6th, Rays reliever Burke Badenhop hit Dustin Pedroia with a pitch. Fast forward to the top of the 9th, same score. Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales threw behind Luke Scott. Scott had some words for Morales, and the benches cleared. No punches were thrown, but lots of words were. Fernando Rodney closed out the win for the Rays in the ninth.

Two very exciting starts to a pair of great weekend series. The Rangers showed again why they have one of the most feared lineups in baseball. I expect the Blue Jays to play better, but Arlington is a tough place to win for anyone. The Rays and the Red Sox were already fired up for this series, but will be even more so now. Things could get interesting with David Price and Josh Beckett on the mound tomorrow. The Rays showed they have just as much hitting to keep up with the Red Sox in any game. We will just have to watch and see how these two series unfold the rest of the weekend.

Bard and Feliz: The Tale of Two Relievers Turned Starters

Major League Baseball teams always debate whether or not their top prospects should be starting pitchers or relievers. They like to make that decision before they reach the majors, but that doesn't always happen. When Daniel Bard and Neftali Feliz came up to the majors both were sent to their respective bullpens. Bard achieved some success and Feliz did very well as the Texas Rangers' closer. However, both the Boston Red Sox and the Rangers decided to turn their young bullpen guns into starters this year. Interestingly enough, they both made their season debuts tonight.

Bard made his first start for the Red Sox since 2007 at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays hitters got to him early and finally drove him from the game in the sixth inning. He gave up five runs on eight hits, while walking one batter and striking out six. Bard struggled with control as he left too many pitches over the plate. The Red Sox claim they are committed to him remaining in the rotation, but the questions are going to be raised as he continues to struggle and the bullpen keeps imploding. Bard's got a great changeup, but control is going to be crucial to any success he hopes to have. Right now, the Red Sox are going to keep one eye on Bard and his maturation as a starter, while the other remains on their struggling bullpen.

Feliz may have been the more surprising move to the rotation. After all, he won the 2010 AL Rookie of the Year, was an All-Star selection the same year, and had a combined 72 saves his first two seasons as the Rangers' closer. I guess the old saying if it ain't broke don't fix it, doesn't count in baseball. Feliz made the Rangers look brilliant in his first start tonight. He pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits and two walks while striking out four. Feliz kept the Seattle Mariners hitters off balance all night. His mix of pitches between his off-speed stuff, his changeup and slider, and his fastball was excellent. The start was against the Mariners, but still was impressive nonetheless. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers monitor his innings the rest of the season.

Rangers, Yu Just Got Better

The Texas Rangers have showed they believed in Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. First, they paid $51.7 million to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Darvish's team, just to talk to him. Then, they let their staff ace, C.J. Wilson, sign with their division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels. Finally, today they agreed to a contract with Darvish that will pay him approximately $60 million over the next six years.

So some of you might be asking, "Who is Yu Darvish?" Darvish is 25-year-pitcher from Japan. Last season, he was 18-6 with a league-best 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts. He only walked 36 batters in 232 innings. He also looked great in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Baseball Classic. Scouts are impressed by his fastball control and what is considered to be a seven-pitch repertoire, which includes basically everything except a changeup.

Many people are making comparison between Darvish and the Boston Red Sox's Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K pitched well his first two seasons, but has struggled the past three seasons with injuries and inconsistency. I think there is two sides to that coin. It is unfair to compare him to Matsuzaka based on the fact that they are completely different pitchers. Darvish stands 6-5 and 220 pounds, which decreases the likeliness of him wearing down. However, I think it is a fair comparison in the fact that both pitchers are coming from playing only in Japan. Matsuzaka had success, but MLB hitters seem to have figured him out. Will the same happen with Darvish? It is certainly possible.

The Rangers allowed the ace of their staff to leave to their rival organization. Then, they spent a combined $111.7 million dollars on a pitcher who has never thrown a pitch in a Major League Baseball game. They took a risk to say the least. Will it be a good one? We are just going to have to wait and see. I'm not surprised they let Wilson go after his struggles in the postseason. However, I am somewhat surprised they spent so much on only a potentially good pitcher. Rangers fans should understand two things about their club based on this signing. First, they are going to be willing to spend money and lots of it. Second, they know the importance of good pitching and thought enough of their team to spend money now to upgrade their staff now. Now, it is up to Darvish to see how his play translates to MLB. The Rangers need him to be as great as they think he will be. This is a decision we are going to look back on down the road.

Cardinals Unlikely Run to World Series Champions

Before the season even began, the St. Louis Cardinals found out that their ace Adam Wainwright would be out for the season.

Wainwright had won a combined 39 games the previous two seasons.

The Cardinals didn't appear to have an answer as to who would replace him, so many experts said the team's chances of making the playoffs were slim to none.

Additionally, there was more injuries during the season. A total of 17 players ended up on the DL at some point during the season.

On August 24, the lowly Dodgers finished a sweep of the Cardinals. They outscored them in the last two games of the series 22 to 6.

The Cardinals stood 10 1/2 games out of the playoffs with 31 to play.

Then, there was the bullpen.

The same one that blew 26 save opportunities (2nd most in the majors) and had given up 13 walk-off losses.

The Cardinals had acquired five players at the trade deadline. Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, Mark Rzepcynski, Arthur Rhodes, and Rafael Furcal. Would these really make a difference?

It seemed so unlikely and impossible for this team to make the playoffs.

However, on the final day of the season, Chris Carpenter pitched them to 8-0 win over the Astros, which combined with a Braves lost sent them to the playoffs.

They were rewarded with getting to play the World Series favorite Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies playoff rotation only featured Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels as their top 3.

In the best of 5 series, the Phillies were up 2 games to 1, one win away from another NLCS berth. However, the Cardinals showed life beating Roy Oswalt to force a game 5.

Game 5 featured the epic pitching matchup of Chris Carpenter vs. Roy Halladay. Mid-season acquisition Rafael Furcal led the game off with a leadoff triple.

This brought Skip Schumaker to the plate. Schumaker is a part-time utility player, who finished with a regular season total of 38 RBIs.

The Cardinals eliminated their division foe, the Milwaukee Brewers, in 6, giving them their 18th World Series berth, where they would face the Texas Rangers.

Following Albert Pujols' game 3 performance, the Cardinals were feeling pretty good. Pujols finished the game with a ridiculous stat line of 5-6, 3 home runs, and 6 RBIs. The Cardinals were up 2 games to 1.

But then, the Texas Rangers won two games in a row at home to go up 3 games to 2.

This setup game 6, which turned out to be one of the greatest games in baseball history.

Bottom of the 9th. Rangers up 7-5. Two men on for the Cardinals. Texas closer Neftali Feliz was one strike away from the Rangers' first World Series Championship. But then, hometown boy David Freese tripled to deep right to score the two runners. Molina lines out, so we are headed to extras.

In the top of the 10th, Jason Motte throws a mistake pitch to Josh Hamilton, who turns it into a 2-run home run.

In the bottom of the 10th, Ron Washington decides to bring in veteran Darren Oliver. Oliver gives up 2 singles. Following a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Lohse, the two baserunners are on 2nd and 3rd. Oliver is relieved by Scott Feldman.

Ryan Theriot grounds out, but one run scores and the other baserunner moves up to third. Feldman decides to not mess with Pujols, so he intentionally walks him. This brought up Lance Berkman with two outs. Feldman gets two strikes, so the Rangers are one strike away from being champions. However, Big Puma is clutch and comes through with the big RBI single. Allen Craig grounds out to end the inning.

Jake Westbrook pitches a scoreless top of the 11th. In the bottom of the 11th, Mark Lowe of the Rangers faces his first batter David Freese. On a full count, Freese homers to center, giving the Cardinals a walkoff win to force game 7.

The Cardinals won game 7 6-2 last night behind great pitching by Chris Carpenter and some more clutch hitting early on by David Freese. Freese becomes a hometown hero and wins the MVP.

Do you believe in miracles? Well the Cardinals do. They just proved it by winning their 11th World Series Championship.