Miller and Lester Were Almost a Perfect Pair

Shelby Miller gave up a leadoff hit, but then set down the next 27 Rockies hitters in order. (Dilip Vishwanat)

Tonight, St. Louis’ Shelby Miller and Boston’s Jon Lester did something no pair of pitchers have done on the same night in the history of baseball. They each threw a one-hit, no-walk, complete-game shutout. The only hit Miller allowed was a leadoff single by the Rockies’ Eric Young, Jr. Lester bid for perfection lasted until the sixth inning when the Blue Jays’ Maicer Izturis hit a double.

Let's compare the two superb performances. Miller's outing is really unique in that after giving up that leadoff single, he retired the next 27 hitters. This is really as close to a no-hitter as you possibly can be. After the leadoff single, he threw a no-hitter. That's impressive to say the least. However, that is not all that is impressive about Miller's performance. He also stuck out 13 batters and maintained his velocity of up to 93 mph throughout his 113 pitches. That is how dominant Miller was. Finally, his opponent, the Rockies, are the NL’s highest-scoring team.

Lester’s one-hitter is his first shutout since 2008. This is an encouraging sign for Red Sox fans that the lefty might be regaining that top form. On paper, Lester was not as dominant as Miller. He only five struck out five batters. Instead, Lester relied on his infield for a total of 12 ground-ball outs. Both pitchers benefitted from getting ahead in the count. In fact, both pitchers threw first-pitch strikes to 21 of the 28 batters they faced.

You might be wondering how rare of an occurrence is it for two pitchers to throw one-hitters on the same night. It has only happened three other times since the turn of the century.

May 25, 2001: The Cubs’ Kerry Wood and the Red Sox’ Hideo Nomo each threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout on the same night. Both pitchers struck out 14 batters. Wood walked two hitters, while Nomo did not issue any walks.

April 26, 2002: The Dodgers’ Odalis Perez and the Mets’ Shawn Estes both threw complete-game, one-hit shutouts on the same night as well. Perez did not walk any batters, while Estes allowed just one walk.

June 16, 2012: The Orioles’ Jason Hammel and the Angels' Ervin Santana each threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout on the same night. Hammel issued two walks, while Santana only walked one batter.

As you can now see, Miller and Lester share a unique bond that only a handful of major league pitchers have ever shared. There is one statistic that distinguishes them above the rest. Neither one of them walked a single batter. Miller and Lester can say that they are the only pair of pitchers to throw one-hit, no-walk, complete-game shutouts on the same night.

Carpenter Leads Cardinals to Victory in Postseason Debut

Cardinals utility man Matt Carpenter hit a two-run home run in his first  at-bat of the postseason. (David J. Phillip)

The St. Louis Cardinals have a long history of unexpected postseason heroes. Tonight, they added one more player's name to that list. In his first at-bat of the postseason, utility man Matt Carpenter hit a two-run home run to give the Cardinals the lead for good.

As the game began, it appeared that this would be just another typical day where Carpenter rode the bench and helped fill out the roster. However, when Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran suffered a left knee injury running out a double play in the first inning, it was Carpenter who got called in to replace the injured veteran.

Carpenter wasted little time before making a huge difference. He came up to bat for this time with the San Francisco Giants leading 1-0 and two outs in the bottom of the third inning. Carpenter was set to face one of the best pitchers in baseball, Giants ace Matt Cain. He made full contact on a two-strike slider that soared deep into the crowd for a game-changing two-run home run.

The game lasted much longer after this play, but the Giants were never able to tie or regain the lead again. Carpenter's clutch hitting was vastly important to give the momentum and lead needed to help their bullpen successfully close out the game. He probably never even expected to play, let alone becoming the catalyst to bringing his team one step closer to a return to the World Series. You never discount the significance of a player on your team. They might just be waiting to have their Matt Carpenter moment of a lifetime when your team needs it the most.

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.

Phillies and Brewers Charging Into NL Wild Card Race

The Milwaukee Brewers' Norichika Aoki had a crucial double to help lift the Brewers to a 5-0 win over the Braves. (The Candian Press)

The Philadelphia Phillies have been disappointing all season. Underachieving meant that two of their best players, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, ended up being traded. The Phillies pitching staff has been pretty solid all season (as expected). What wasn't quite up to par yet was the lineup and bullpen. All of a sudden, both have gotten hot as of late.

Winners of five straight coming into Tuesday night's game at home against the Miami Marlins, the Phillies looked to build upon their recent success. The Phillies got off to a great start when they scored three runs in the first inning. On the mound, Phillies ace Roy Halladay unexpectedly struggled. Lasting 6 1/3 innings, he gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Phillies veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run home run to increase their lead to 8-3. However, during the top of the seventh, the Marlins scored four runs to pull within one run, trailing 8-7. In the bottom half of the inning, Rollins hit a sacrifice fly to score an insurance run.

The lead was handed over to the Phillies' spotty bullpen. With the two-run lead in place, their relievers began pitching quite well. B.J. Rosenburg and Phillippe Aumont kept the lead intact, earning both of them their second hold of the season. In the ninth inning, Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon threw a scoreless inning to seal the team's 9-7 victory.

Coming off a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves the previous night, the Milwaukee Brewers looked to keep their winning going at home Tuesday. Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks got the scoring started with a solo shot to center for the 1-0 lead. That is all the offense that starting pitcher Marco Estrada got while he was pitching. As it turned out, that proved to be enough as Estrada threw scoreless baseball into the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Braves starting pitcher Tim Hudson hit Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez with a pitch to load the bases. Then, shortstop Jean Segura grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out as one run came into score. The next batter was pinch hitter Taylor Greene, who hit an RBI-single to center field. Right fielder Norichika Aoki capped off the big inning with a RBI-double. When it was all said and done, the Brewers had scored three runs to take a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Brewers cushioned their lead a little bit more on a solo home run by third baseman Aramis Ramirez. As far as the bullpen was concerned, relievers Jim Henderson, Francisco Rodriguez, and Brandon Kintzler pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to complete the 5-0 shutout.

The NL Wild Card race is wide open. With the Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals all struggling in the thick of the race, teams like the Phillies and Brewers have come out of nowhere to join the playoff picture. As a result of their wins tonight, both the Phillies and Brewers now have a 71-71 record and stand four games out of the second wild card spot.

If you had told me during the summer that the Phillies and Brewers would be in the playoff hunt in September, I would have said you were crazy. However, this is baseball, and it always seems as though anything is possible. While some things are more likely than others, it is nearly impossible to predict what will really happen. It will surely be an exciting race to the end in the National League.

2012 MLB Trade Deadline Winners and Losers

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of my losers after treading away both Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino. (Brian Garfinkel and Kirby Lee)

The Major League Baseball trade deadline can have so much of an impact on a franchise. For a team looking to make it into the postseason, it could be adding that missing piece. On the other hand, a team looking to trade away some of their best players, might be looking for the perfect package of prospects in return. Passivity at the trade deadline is an option that can be perfectly fine or quite detrimental. I have sifted through all the trades that occurred before today's trade deadline to determine my three overall winners and losers.

Trade Deadline Winners


Los Angeles Dodgers
I don't think any team was as active at the trade deadline as the Dodgers were. The pitching has been solid all season, so the main focus was on bulking up the offense. Besides Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, the Dodgers offense had struggled to do much this season. When rumors began to swirl that the Miami Marlins were frustrated with former star infielder Hanley Ramirez, the Dodgers got on the phone. The two sides finally worked out a deal. You can check out my full take on that trade here. Today, the Dodgers managed to acquire another quality veteran bat in center fielder Shane Victorino from the Philadelphia Phillies. While improving their lineup even more, they didn't have to give up much in return. Finally, they bolstered their bullpen with the addition of former Seattle Mariners closer Brandon League. The Los Angles Dodgers made three great moves without giving up either of their top two prospects, Zach Lee and Allen Webster.

Los Angeles Angels
The Dodgers weren't the only ones busy making phone calls in Los Angeles. The Angels were exploring options as well. Their lineup has already been thrust into full throttle by young star Mike Trout. It was the back of the rotation that had to concern the Angels front office. Starting pitching options are always fairly bleak at the trade deadline. Plus, teams are usually looking for an arm and a leg in return. Once Cole Hamels signed a long-term extension with the Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers ace Zack Greinke became the top arm available. The Angels paid the steep price, but got a very good pitcher in return. While I do have some concerns about him pitching in a big market with his anxiety issues, this was the right move for the Angels to make, especially when you consider that their divisional rival Texas Rangers were pushing to get him as well.

Pittsburgh Pirates
I believe the Pirates could be the sneaky big winner here at the trade deadline. The Pirates' first move was to bolster their already solid starting staff. They acquired a familiar opponent in Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. The move was good because they added a very good pitcher without overpaying. You can read my full analysis of that trade here. The Pirates wanted to add a big bat next. GM Neal Huntington looked to add many different options, but once again didn't want to overpay. Instead, he settled for two smaller hitting additions. The Pirates acquired first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. When Sanchez struggled early this year, they designated him for assignment in the minors. He does hit for power though. Each of the past two seasons, Sanchez has hit 19 home runs. He was also an All-Star last season. The Pirates also traded for outfielder Travis Snider from the Toronto Blue Jays. Snider offers similar hitting potential to Sanchez. Finally, the Pirates added reliever Chad Qualls from the New York Yankees to help fill out their bullpen. All in all, the Pirates made a number of great moves, without taking away too much from their bright future in their farm system.

Trade Deadline Losers


Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins spent tons of money this past offseason. They opened a new stadium with a new team name. The Marlins pledged to their fans that they were going to be contenders and big spenders. They did acquire veteran Carlos Lee from the Astros, but even a third grader could probably tell you that Lee has been in full decline as a hitter. Then, the Marlins let their impatience and frustration with Hanley Ramirez get the better of them. They traded him to the Dodgers when his value was much lower than it should be. As if that weren't enough, the Marlins also dealt Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to the Detroit Tigers. So much for being contenders. This team is now somewhere muddled between being contenders and rebuilders.

Philadelphia Phillies
Which of the following is most surprising? A: The Phillies are 11 games under .500 under in August. B: The Phillies are in last place in the NL East. C: The Phillies are 15 1/2 games out of first place. D: The Phillies were big time sellers at the trade deadline. It has to be all of the above. It is hard to believe that the Phillies are having this terrible of a season. When they were first rumored to be sellers at the trade deadline, I couldn't believe it. This team isn't that far removed from being in the World Series. I was even more surprised when they decided to trade both outfielders Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, two of the team's best hitters. The Phillies are definitely not going to get any better the rest of this season. If they don't make any moves in the offseason, they could be one of the worst teams in baseball next season. I don't really see how what the Phillies did at the trade deadline helped their situation at all.

St. Louis Cardinals
I was looking at the top contenders for the postseason, and most every team made at least one considerably key move, except for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have been stuck in third place in the NL Central for awhile now. The first place Cincinnati Reds are playing great baseball and look like they are going to be difficult to catch. As I already mentioned, the second place Pirates made several key moves. The only move the Cardinals made was to add reliever Edward Mujica from the Marlins. Mujica tends to give up the home run ball and hasn't been at his best this year. The Cardinals weren't good enough to catch the Reds and Pirates before and little has happened to change that now. Unless something unexpected happens, I believe the reigning World Series champion Cardinals are going to miss the playoffs.

Cardinals Tie MLB Record With Seven Doubles in One Inning

Cardinals third baseman David Freese hit two of the Cardinals' seven doubles in the bottom of the seventh inning. (Dilip Vishwanat)

During the seventh inning stretch, the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs must have felt as though one run could win it for their side. After all, the score was 0-0 and neither team had been able to get much of anything going offensively. However, in the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals offense didn't want to leave anything to chance.

Cardinals third baseman David Freese reached on an infield single to start off the inning. Center fielder John Jay's failed bunt attempt was popped up. Utility man Allen Craig came in to pinch hit for starting pitcher Jake Westbrook. He doubled to left to put runners at second and third. Shortstop Rafael Furcal singled home Freese to put the Cardinals on the board. The next batter, second baseman Skip Schumaker, tripled to deep center to plate two more.

Next up, left fielder Matt Holliday drew a walk. He was followed by right fielder Carlos Beltran who hit a ground-rule double. Catcher Yadier Molina was intentionally walked to load the bases. First baseman Lance Berkman popped out to second for the second out. The next three batters, Freese, Jay, and Craig all had doubles that scored a combined five runs. Following that, Furcal drew a walk. Schumaker and Holliday continued the offensive parade with a double each.

When all was said and done, the Cardinals had scored 12 runs on 10 hits in the inning. Incredibley, seven of those hits were doubles. That tied a 76-year-old major league record set by the Boston Bees in 1936. The offensive explosion was unbelievable, especially when one considers that the Cardinals scored zero runs the rest of the game. The one inning made all the difference for them. It proved to be more than enough in order to lift them to victory.

Reds Start Second Half Off With Sweep of the Cardinals

The Reds had plenty to celebrate during their sweep, including Ryan Ludwick's walk-off home run Saturday night. (Joseph Fuqua II)

The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals are once again engaged in another race for the NL Central title. However, this year they were both were looking up at the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates at the All-Star Break. With the postseason likely on the line, every divisional game seems to carry an extra weight of significance to whichever teams are involved. The first series out of the second half gate saw the Cardinals traveling to Great American Ball Park to take on the Reds.

Friday night felt like Opening Day all over again. With excitement in the air, 40,217 came to watch the divisional rivals battle. Mat Latos, who has been up-and-down all season, was on the mound for the Reds. In the second inning, Cardinals second baseman Skip Schumaker singled home catcher Yadier Molina to begin the scoring. Latos got out of the inning with only one run crossing home. In the third inning, he limited the damage again, allowing just one additional run. Latos didn't have his best stuff during his five innings of work, but he limited the damage enough to keep his team in it.

Meanwhile, Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright appeared to be in cruise control. Prior to the seventh inning, he had only made one mistake, a solo home run to Reds third baseman Todd Frazier. Wainwright though ran into some trouble in the seventh. The Reds loaded the bases to bring catcher Ryan Hanigan to the plate. Wainwright induced what appeared to be a routine slow grounder to Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig. But an errant throw by Craig allowed two runs to score. The Cardinals never recovered as Reds closer Aroldis Chapman closed the door on the Reds' 5-3 victory.

Saturday afternoon began with what seemed to be a pitcher's dual between the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse and the Reds' Mike Leake. The Reds offense was the first to break through in the fifth inning when right fielder Jay Bruce doubled home second baseman Brandon Phillips. They doubled their lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Zack Cozart. However, in the seventh the Cardinals offense awakened on a solo home run by Molina. They then tied it up on a bunt single by shortstop Rafael Furcal.

Neither side managed to break the 2-2 tie through the ninth inning, so we were headed for extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Reds reliever Sam LeCure pitched a 1-2-3 inning to retire the side. With one out in the bottom half of the frame, a previously 0-for-4 Ryan Ludwick came up to bat for the Reds. He quickly fell behind 0-2. Ludwick battled to foul off three straight pitches, and then watched three straight balls from Cardinals reliever Victor Marte. He finally saw the pitch he had been looking for and crushed it for a walk-off home run.

The series finale turned out to be the nationally televised feature of Sunday Night Baseball. Molina started off the scoring for the visitors with an RBI double in the second inning. Reds first baseman Joey Votto answered in the third with an RBI double of his own. The Reds took the lead 2-1 when Phillips singled to score Votto. However, Molina struck again with a solo home run to knot things up 2-2.

Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey pitched eight excellent innings, allowing just the two runs. In the bottom half of the eighth inning, his counterpart, Cardinals starting pitcher Jake Westbrook, got himself into trouble. He walked Votto and then hit Phillips with a pitch. Cardinals reliever Mark Rzepczynski came in relief and got Bruce to groundout for the second out. The runners still advanced though, so the Cardinals new reliever Mitchell Boggs intentionally walked Ludwick to load the bases. This brought veteran third baseman Scott Rolen to the plate. Rolen came up with a clutch single to plate two as the Reds took the 4-2 lead. Chapman came in and struck out the side for his 13th save of the season.

The Reds have to feel great about what they just accomplished. A sweep of a divisional rival is the perfect way to start a second half push for the postseason. The sweep also propelled the Reds into first place ahead of the Pirates. The second half of the season is just getting under way, but it looks like the NL Central race should be a dandy to the finish.

The Reds will look to keep their winning going as they host a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Cardinals will look to bounce back as they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers in a three-game set beginning tomorrow.

Marlins Park Sparkles, But Night Belongs to Kyle Lohse and the Cardinals

Opening Night featured the brand new Marlins Park. A soldout crowd cheered on their freshly named Miami Marlins as they came on the field. Unfortunately, for the home team, there was little to cheer for after that. The St. Louis Cardinals' offense got after Marlins starting pitcher Josh Johnson right from the get go. Over six innings, Johnson gave up three runs on 10 hits. Some of those were bloopers and defensive errors, but he left quite a few directly over the plate. Meanwhile, the Cardinals' starting pitcher, Kyle Lohse, kept hitters off balance all night. He carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning. The game ended with the Cardinals adding an insurance run, the Marlins getting on the board with one run, and a dominant ninth from Cardinals closer Jason Motte.

The Marlins have to be disappointed with how they played in their home opener. They have to be wondering which Josh Johnson they will get. He has been their ace they can count on in the past, but he also has struggled with significant health issues. Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes had a misunderstanding on a ground ball. They will have to get use to playing together. Left fielder Logan Morrison's arm looked weak as he gave up several doubles that shouldn't have been. The Marlins are going to have to get used to playing together and in their new home environment.

For the reigning World Series champions, everything seemed to go as well as they could hope. Lohse looked excellent in the win. He is coming off what was likely his best season of his career, so he will try to build upon that. Offensively, the Cardinals just strung together a bunch of hits, especially against Johnson. Of their 13 hits, only three were for extra bases (all doubles), which meant they needed consecutive ones to score, which they did. Jason Motte came in to close out the game. He fired in some 99 mph fastballs as he secured the Cardinals' first win. All in all, a very good win for the boys from St. Louis.

St. Louis Cardinals Help Inspire Rams to Upset Win

The St. Louis Rams were 0-6 entering Sunday. Rising star Sam Bradford was out of the lineup with an injury, so for the second week in a row they had to turn to A.J. Feeley at quarterback.

Feeley hadn't one a game since 2004 and playing with a team like the Rams, his odds seemed mighty slim. After all, his team was going up against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

During the pregame ceremony, the St. Louis Cardinals were recognized, and they showed off their trophy. I am sure this and a chance to watch Brees work his magic were the reasons many fans attended the game.

Feeley played a decent game, but then Steven Jackson decided to reveal some of his old self. Jackson rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first 100 yard rushing day in three years.

Brees and the Saints were coming off a annihilation of the Indianapolis Colts last week, by the score of 62-7. However, the Rams defense stepped up their play and sacked Brees six times. The Saints didn't even score an offensive touchdown until their was ten minutes remaining in the game!

How did the Saints manage to go from scoring 62 points one week to scoring none on offense for 7/8 of their next game? I am not sure, but they better figure it out soon because next week they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who already beat the Saints once this year, by shutting down Brees and picking him off three times. As for the Rams, they should enjoy this win and focus on getting Sam Bradford healthy once again.

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.