When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded oft-injured but talented Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres this past off season, they automatically turned the Pads into a legitimate postseason contender. Acquiring Justin Upton from Atlanta and Will Meyers from Tampa Bay to help Kemp patrol the spacious San Diego outfield further legitimized that franchise's postseason potential. Signing free agent workhorse James Shields to anchor their starting rotation may have been the final piece for San Diego to reach the postseason promised land - probably as a wild card, but that would be a vast improvement over where they've gone the last several years: Nowhere.
Meanwhile, LA also passed on trying to re-sign shortstop Hanley Ramirez (now the Boston Red Sox' new left fielder), then swung a deal acquiring aging shortstop Jimmy Rollins from Philadelphia. J-Rol's career has been in decline for a few years now, but he may have enough in the tank to give the Dodgers some degree of stability at the shortstop position. Meanwhile, LA also dealt speedy second baseman Dee Gordon to Miami, then acquired the underrated Howie Kendrick from the Angels to take his place at second base. The net effect of all these transactions should help the Dodgers, defensively - but it may cost them, offensively. And they may regret trading their former face of the franchise to a division rival. If nothing else, watching the Dodgers and Padres in head-to-head competition this season will be more interesting than it's been in years.
In the meantime, the reigning World Champion San Francisco Giants appear to be taking this year off - especially after their popular corpulent third baseman - Pablo Sandoval - left via free agency and landed in Boston. His replacement: Casey McGehee, whose better days are well behind him. Adding to the Giants' woes is having the hyper active Hunter Pence on the DL (broken arm) to start the season, further hindering the San Francisco offense - which will be borderline anemic in 2015.
Neither the Arizona Diamondbacks nor Colorado Rockies appear close to contending in 2015.
Here's how the Final Standings should look:
Los Angeles 93-69
San Diego 87-75
San Francisco 82-80
Arizona 70-92
Colorado 62-100
Could we see another postseason showdown between the Dodgers and Cardinals? It's quite likely. Interestingly, most of the so-called experts are picking the Dodgers to beat the Cardinals in any possible playoff series. Of course, most of them picked the Dodgers to beat the Cardinals in the 2013 NLCS and again in the 2014 NLDS. Go figure. For the record, the Cardinals are 16-9 all-time vs the Dodgers in postseason play.
Showing posts with label San Francisco Giants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco Giants. Show all posts
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Thursday, October 30, 2014
The San Francisco Giants Are World Champions Again - But Hardly a Dynasty
With that dramatic Game Seven win over the Kansas City Royals on October 29, 2014, the San Francisco Giants have captured their third World Championship since 2010 - an accomplishment no other National League team has achieved since the St Louis Cardinals did it - coincidentally - in the even-numbered years of 1942, 1944 and 1946.
So, are the Giants now a Dynasty? Strangely enough, after the Boston Red Sox won the 2013 World Series - to capture their third title since 2004 - many baseball experts thought that made them a Dynasty.
Well now, that Dynasty has since been interrupted by their second last-place finish in three seasons over there in the American League East. That's an unprecedented accomplishment, however; no major league team has ever gone from worst-to-first-to-worst before. Kudos to Boston for that bit of baseball history - but that weird three-season span is hardly what a Dynasty is supposed to do.
What about the Giants' Dynasty? The Word Champion 2010 Giants missed the postseason in 2011. The World Champion 2012 Giants not only missed the postseason in 2013, they finished ten games under .500. Now, here they are in 2014 - World Champions again. A Dynasty? In just five years? I believe dynasties need more time to be classified as such. And they need to win more consistently.
Take for example, The New York Yankees - from Babe Ruth-to Joe DiMaggio-to Mickey Mantle. They were The Dynasty. One that lasted for forty-some odd years. Now that's a Dynasty.
Of course, nothing lasts forever. After falling into oblivion for a decade or so, the Yankees won a couple of world championships in the late '70's, then had a remarkable run from 1996 through 2000 - winning of four out of five world championships. They almost made it five out of six - but a blown save by Mariano Rivera in Game Seven of 2001, ended their supremacy. Their gradual decline continued with a strange six-game loss to the Florida Marlins in the 2003 World Series, followed by an unprecedented loss to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS - blowing a three games to none series lead.
Of course, the Yankees were still a very good team and they recovered nicely in 2009, for another World Series title. But age and some questionable free agent signings have turned them into an ordinary team - possibly a playoff contender in 2015 - but probably not - even with that huge payroll.
The recent success of the Giants has been remarkable, but let's look at the big picture - the current millennium - and compare the overall performance of the Giants vs their closest rivals - the St Louis Cardinals.
Postseason Appearances: St Louis 11 - San Francisco 6
Division Titles: St Louis 8 - San Francisco 5
NLCS Appearances: St Louis 9 - San Francisco 4
World Series Appearances: St Louis 4 - San Francisco 4
World Series Championships: St Louis 2 - San Francisco 3
Obviously, when the Giants qualify for postseason play, they usually go very deep. They've been unbeatable every time they play in a National League Championship Series (4 for 4) - and they've victimized the Cardinals 3 out of those 4 times.
Whenever the Cardinals don't have to play the Giants in the NLCS, they've done well - winning 4 out of 6. Obviously, if this franchise is going to be perceived as better than their rivals, they've got to beat them in head-to-head postseason competition - and sooner or later, the Giants are bound to qualify for postseason play in an odd-numbered year.
Consistency has been the Cardinals' trademark over this fifteen season span. Not only do they usually qualify for postseason play, they've only had one sub-.500 season over that time (in '07 - as defending World Series Champions).
The Giants, on the other hand, had a miserable four-season sub-.500 stretch ('05 - '08) and even had one as defending World Series Champions, themselves (in 2013). Right in the middle of their Dynasty.
Will they somehow manage to finish below .500 in 2015 - or will they make it back to the postseason again? Before they can legitimately be called a Dynasty, they've got to overcome the odd-numbered year obstacle. Either that, or repeat their three in five trick one more time. That was quite impressive - we all must admit.
If nothing else, the Giants could be on the verge of becoming a Dynasty, but then again, so could the Cardinals.
So, are the Giants now a Dynasty? Strangely enough, after the Boston Red Sox won the 2013 World Series - to capture their third title since 2004 - many baseball experts thought that made them a Dynasty.
Well now, that Dynasty has since been interrupted by their second last-place finish in three seasons over there in the American League East. That's an unprecedented accomplishment, however; no major league team has ever gone from worst-to-first-to-worst before. Kudos to Boston for that bit of baseball history - but that weird three-season span is hardly what a Dynasty is supposed to do.
What about the Giants' Dynasty? The Word Champion 2010 Giants missed the postseason in 2011. The World Champion 2012 Giants not only missed the postseason in 2013, they finished ten games under .500. Now, here they are in 2014 - World Champions again. A Dynasty? In just five years? I believe dynasties need more time to be classified as such. And they need to win more consistently.
Take for example, The New York Yankees - from Babe Ruth-to Joe DiMaggio-to Mickey Mantle. They were The Dynasty. One that lasted for forty-some odd years. Now that's a Dynasty.
Of course, nothing lasts forever. After falling into oblivion for a decade or so, the Yankees won a couple of world championships in the late '70's, then had a remarkable run from 1996 through 2000 - winning of four out of five world championships. They almost made it five out of six - but a blown save by Mariano Rivera in Game Seven of 2001, ended their supremacy. Their gradual decline continued with a strange six-game loss to the Florida Marlins in the 2003 World Series, followed by an unprecedented loss to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS - blowing a three games to none series lead.
Of course, the Yankees were still a very good team and they recovered nicely in 2009, for another World Series title. But age and some questionable free agent signings have turned them into an ordinary team - possibly a playoff contender in 2015 - but probably not - even with that huge payroll.
The recent success of the Giants has been remarkable, but let's look at the big picture - the current millennium - and compare the overall performance of the Giants vs their closest rivals - the St Louis Cardinals.
Postseason Appearances: St Louis 11 - San Francisco 6
Division Titles: St Louis 8 - San Francisco 5
NLCS Appearances: St Louis 9 - San Francisco 4
World Series Appearances: St Louis 4 - San Francisco 4
World Series Championships: St Louis 2 - San Francisco 3
Obviously, when the Giants qualify for postseason play, they usually go very deep. They've been unbeatable every time they play in a National League Championship Series (4 for 4) - and they've victimized the Cardinals 3 out of those 4 times.
Whenever the Cardinals don't have to play the Giants in the NLCS, they've done well - winning 4 out of 6. Obviously, if this franchise is going to be perceived as better than their rivals, they've got to beat them in head-to-head postseason competition - and sooner or later, the Giants are bound to qualify for postseason play in an odd-numbered year.
Consistency has been the Cardinals' trademark over this fifteen season span. Not only do they usually qualify for postseason play, they've only had one sub-.500 season over that time (in '07 - as defending World Series Champions).
The Giants, on the other hand, had a miserable four-season sub-.500 stretch ('05 - '08) and even had one as defending World Series Champions, themselves (in 2013). Right in the middle of their Dynasty.
Will they somehow manage to finish below .500 in 2015 - or will they make it back to the postseason again? Before they can legitimately be called a Dynasty, they've got to overcome the odd-numbered year obstacle. Either that, or repeat their three in five trick one more time. That was quite impressive - we all must admit.
If nothing else, the Giants could be on the verge of becoming a Dynasty, but then again, so could the Cardinals.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
October 16, 1985 - Clark's 3-Run 9th-Inning Blast Sends Cards to World Series
Wednesday, October 16, 1985 - Game 6 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers - At Dodger Stadium - Attendance: 55,208 - Starting Pitchers: Joaquin Andujar vs Orel Hershiser
The Cardinals are trailing, 5-4, with two on and two out in the top of the ninth-inning. Ozzie Smith is on second - Willie McGee on third. The next scheduled hitter is Jack Clark - aka "Jack the Ripper". Andy Van Slyke - aka "Van Strike" - is on deck.
Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda has a decision to make: With first base open, should he instruct reliever Tom Niedenfuer to intentionally walk Clark to face Van Slyke? Lasorda's decision is captured by lip-readers from coast to coast watching the game on NBC: "Pitch to the son of a bitch!"
At this moment, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast are leaning forward in anticipation of what is about to transpire on Niedenfuer's very first pitch - a fastball, right down the middle: Jack rips it deep into the left field bleachers. Dodgers' left fielder Pedro Guerrero - a demonstrative slugger who can't believe what he just saw - slams his glove to the ground as the ball zooms a hundred or so feet over his head.
The instant Clark makes contact with the ball, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast leap
for joy - knowing that ball is long gone. No doubt some of those fans, who may have been taking an extended lunch hour to watch the game at a nearby sports bar, have caused quite a commotion by accidentally knocking over the little table where they are sitting - and with it, whatever is left of the burger, fries and coke that sits atop that tabletop. Broken glass and stoneware litter the area as Clark slowly makes his triumphant trip around the bases - no doubt oblivious to the property damage his swing inadvertently incurred.
Complete strangers, sharing an allegiance to St Louis Cardinal baseball are sharing high-fives, as an assortment of harried bus boys are busy sweeping the area of the carnage, making little attempt to hide their contempt for such reckless customer behavior. The waitress hovers over the culprit asking with feigned concern for his well-being - implying that all this extra work deserves extra compensation - and rightfully so.
As the NBC camera relentlessly fixates on the distraught Tommy Lasorda in the Dodgers' dugout - the pained expression on his face reveals what's he's now asking himself: "Why didn't we walk that son of a bitch?" Lasorda's trembling hand smooths down his white mat of hair which has suddenly gotten even whiter in just a few seconds. Even those who despise Lasorda's tiresome "Dodger Blue" mantra feel some measure of compassion - if only for a split second - for this man after making what was a blatant tactical error. Of course, Lasorda would never admit it - but anyone with any knowledge of baseball would be able to see through the facade.
The Cardinals had survived a start by their least reliable pitcher over the past several weeks - Joaquin Andujar: 6 IP - 6 H - 4 R - 2 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR - Although two of the runs he coughed up were "unearned", they came as a direct result of Andujar's own defensive miscue.
In typical Andujar fashion, his greatest contribution to Cardinal victory came while batting in the third inning, down 2-0 already. Leading-off the inning, Andujar doubled and eventually scored from third base on Tommy Herr's two-out single.
The Cardinals were even rougher on Dodger starter Orel Heshiser: 6.1 IP - 9 H - 4 R - 4 ER - 1 BB - 1 SO. Still, Hershiser was in line for the win, had Niedenfuer avoided calamity for the second straight game: 2.2 IP - 3 H - 3 R - 3 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR
Earning the win was rookie Todd Worrell, despite giving up a tie-breaking home run to Mike Marshall in the eighth-inning: 2 IP - 2 H - 1 R - 1 ER - 2 BB - 2 SO - 1 HR
The Cardinals had to put together a bit of seventh-inning magic to forge that tie to begin with. Trailing 4-1, both Darrell Porter and Tito Landrum singled off a tiring Hershiser to start the inning. Pinch hitting for Andujar - Steve Braun - moved both runners up with a ground ball to the right side. Then Willie McGee - an unsung hero in this game - singled in both runners to make it a 4-3 game.
Lasorda then brought in the guy who gave up Ozzie's "Go Crazy, Folks" home run in Game Five - Tom Niedenfuer - who was forced to face his nemesis once again - with similar results. Ozzie lined one off the base of right field wall - just missing a home run by a few feet. The ball rattled around in the corner long enough for Ozzie to cruise into third, as McGee easily scored the tying run, to make it a 4-4 game.
Niedenfuer then walked Herr intentionally to set up a potential double play with Clark due up next. However, Clark struck out - as did Van Slyke to end the threat. After Marshall's eighth-inning home run over the right field fence gave LA a 5-4 lead, Niedenfuer's heroics came to an abrupt halt with the iconic Jack Clark blast deep into the Southern California early-autumn afternoon haze.
Getting his second postseason save was Ken Dayley, who retired the shell-shocked Dodgers in order in the bottom of the ninth: 1 IP - 0 H - 0 R - 0 BB - 2 SO
Heading into the World Series, the Cardinals were huge favorites to win their second world championship in four seasons - but for a variety of reasons, that didn't come to pass. Their opponents - the Kansas City Royals - won the last three games - to not only capture their only championship in franchise history. They also started quite a postseason winning streak, in the process. With eight straight postseason victories in 2014, their overall streak has now reached eleven in a row - an unsustainable streak that will in all likelihood end with a World Series defeat.
The odds-on favorite to oppose the Cinderella Royals are now the San Francisco Giants, who lead the Cardinals three games to one in the NLCS. The Cardinals have never recovered from such a deficit to win any best-of-seven postseason series. In fact three out of the four times they trailed by such a margin, they lost Game Five (1943 World Series, 2000 NLCS & 2002 NLCS). The one time they staved-off elimination in Game Five happened in the 2005 NLCS - when Albert Pujols hit his iconic three-run home run in Houston to extend the series for a Game Six showdown in St Louis.
No fairy tale ending there - as the Cardinals were bounced out of the postseason by those wild card Astros in the last game ever played at Busch Stadium II.
But wouldn't it be fitting, if the Cardinals could turn the tables on the Giants - who overcame a three games to one deficit to the wild card Cardinals two years ago - en route to a World Series sweep of the Detroit Tigers? Besides, the Cardinals have a 29-year-old score to settle with that Royals team.
If they can somehow salvage Game Five in San Francisco...anything's possible.
The Cardinals are trailing, 5-4, with two on and two out in the top of the ninth-inning. Ozzie Smith is on second - Willie McGee on third. The next scheduled hitter is Jack Clark - aka "Jack the Ripper". Andy Van Slyke - aka "Van Strike" - is on deck.
Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda has a decision to make: With first base open, should he instruct reliever Tom Niedenfuer to intentionally walk Clark to face Van Slyke? Lasorda's decision is captured by lip-readers from coast to coast watching the game on NBC: "Pitch to the son of a bitch!"
At this moment, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast are leaning forward in anticipation of what is about to transpire on Niedenfuer's very first pitch - a fastball, right down the middle: Jack rips it deep into the left field bleachers. Dodgers' left fielder Pedro Guerrero - a demonstrative slugger who can't believe what he just saw - slams his glove to the ground as the ball zooms a hundred or so feet over his head.
The instant Clark makes contact with the ball, millions of Cardinal fans watching the broadcast leap
for joy - knowing that ball is long gone. No doubt some of those fans, who may have been taking an extended lunch hour to watch the game at a nearby sports bar, have caused quite a commotion by accidentally knocking over the little table where they are sitting - and with it, whatever is left of the burger, fries and coke that sits atop that tabletop. Broken glass and stoneware litter the area as Clark slowly makes his triumphant trip around the bases - no doubt oblivious to the property damage his swing inadvertently incurred.
Complete strangers, sharing an allegiance to St Louis Cardinal baseball are sharing high-fives, as an assortment of harried bus boys are busy sweeping the area of the carnage, making little attempt to hide their contempt for such reckless customer behavior. The waitress hovers over the culprit asking with feigned concern for his well-being - implying that all this extra work deserves extra compensation - and rightfully so.
As the NBC camera relentlessly fixates on the distraught Tommy Lasorda in the Dodgers' dugout - the pained expression on his face reveals what's he's now asking himself: "Why didn't we walk that son of a bitch?" Lasorda's trembling hand smooths down his white mat of hair which has suddenly gotten even whiter in just a few seconds. Even those who despise Lasorda's tiresome "Dodger Blue" mantra feel some measure of compassion - if only for a split second - for this man after making what was a blatant tactical error. Of course, Lasorda would never admit it - but anyone with any knowledge of baseball would be able to see through the facade.
The Cardinals had survived a start by their least reliable pitcher over the past several weeks - Joaquin Andujar: 6 IP - 6 H - 4 R - 2 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR - Although two of the runs he coughed up were "unearned", they came as a direct result of Andujar's own defensive miscue.
In typical Andujar fashion, his greatest contribution to Cardinal victory came while batting in the third inning, down 2-0 already. Leading-off the inning, Andujar doubled and eventually scored from third base on Tommy Herr's two-out single.
The Cardinals were even rougher on Dodger starter Orel Heshiser: 6.1 IP - 9 H - 4 R - 4 ER - 1 BB - 1 SO. Still, Hershiser was in line for the win, had Niedenfuer avoided calamity for the second straight game: 2.2 IP - 3 H - 3 R - 3 ER - 2 BB - 3 SO - 1 HR
Earning the win was rookie Todd Worrell, despite giving up a tie-breaking home run to Mike Marshall in the eighth-inning: 2 IP - 2 H - 1 R - 1 ER - 2 BB - 2 SO - 1 HR
The Cardinals had to put together a bit of seventh-inning magic to forge that tie to begin with. Trailing 4-1, both Darrell Porter and Tito Landrum singled off a tiring Hershiser to start the inning. Pinch hitting for Andujar - Steve Braun - moved both runners up with a ground ball to the right side. Then Willie McGee - an unsung hero in this game - singled in both runners to make it a 4-3 game.
Lasorda then brought in the guy who gave up Ozzie's "Go Crazy, Folks" home run in Game Five - Tom Niedenfuer - who was forced to face his nemesis once again - with similar results. Ozzie lined one off the base of right field wall - just missing a home run by a few feet. The ball rattled around in the corner long enough for Ozzie to cruise into third, as McGee easily scored the tying run, to make it a 4-4 game.
Niedenfuer then walked Herr intentionally to set up a potential double play with Clark due up next. However, Clark struck out - as did Van Slyke to end the threat. After Marshall's eighth-inning home run over the right field fence gave LA a 5-4 lead, Niedenfuer's heroics came to an abrupt halt with the iconic Jack Clark blast deep into the Southern California early-autumn afternoon haze.
Getting his second postseason save was Ken Dayley, who retired the shell-shocked Dodgers in order in the bottom of the ninth: 1 IP - 0 H - 0 R - 0 BB - 2 SO
Heading into the World Series, the Cardinals were huge favorites to win their second world championship in four seasons - but for a variety of reasons, that didn't come to pass. Their opponents - the Kansas City Royals - won the last three games - to not only capture their only championship in franchise history. They also started quite a postseason winning streak, in the process. With eight straight postseason victories in 2014, their overall streak has now reached eleven in a row - an unsustainable streak that will in all likelihood end with a World Series defeat.
The odds-on favorite to oppose the Cinderella Royals are now the San Francisco Giants, who lead the Cardinals three games to one in the NLCS. The Cardinals have never recovered from such a deficit to win any best-of-seven postseason series. In fact three out of the four times they trailed by such a margin, they lost Game Five (1943 World Series, 2000 NLCS & 2002 NLCS). The one time they staved-off elimination in Game Five happened in the 2005 NLCS - when Albert Pujols hit his iconic three-run home run in Houston to extend the series for a Game Six showdown in St Louis.
No fairy tale ending there - as the Cardinals were bounced out of the postseason by those wild card Astros in the last game ever played at Busch Stadium II.
But wouldn't it be fitting, if the Cardinals could turn the tables on the Giants - who overcame a three games to one deficit to the wild card Cardinals two years ago - en route to a World Series sweep of the Detroit Tigers? Besides, the Cardinals have a 29-year-old score to settle with that Royals team.
If they can somehow salvage Game Five in San Francisco...anything's possible.
Monday, October 13, 2014
3 Thrilling Cardinal Postseason Games: OCTOBER 14
Two years ago today, on Sunday, October 14, 2012, the Cardinals - fresh off their stunning upset of the Nationals in Game 5 of the NLDS - stormed into AT&T Park for Game 1 of the NLCS - and came away with a nice 6-4 win over Madison Bumgarner and the Giants. MadBum gave up all six runs in just 3.2 innings pitched - featuring a pair of two-run home runs by David Freese and Carlos Beltran. Just for the record, no runs scored on balks.
Three years ago today, on Friday, October 14, 2011, the Cardinals won a pivotal Game 5 of the NLCS over the Brewers at Busch Stadium, by a score of 6-2. Octavio Dotel, in relief of Jaime Garcia, entered the game with two on and two out in the fifth-inning to strike out the despicable Ryan Braun - before he was certifiably proven to be despicable. But that got him the win, as Jaime needed one more out to receive credit. With so much at stake, TLR wasn't about to let this one get away. St Louis now had a 3 games to two advantage over the Brewers.
Eight years ago today, on Saturday, October 14, 2006, the Cardinals blanked the Mets at Busch, 5-0, in Game 3 of the NLCS. Jeff Suppan got the win, with some help from the bullpen - and he even belted a solo home run for style points. St Louis now had a two games to one advantage over the Mets.
Those were wonderful postseason games to win, of course. And two out of the three victories facilitated a trip to the World Series - which concluded with world championships in both seasons. That first one against the Giants wasn't quite enough to help the Cardinals reach the Fall Classic, but maybe they'll pull off some miracles this time around in San Fran. Crazier things have happened already in this postseason.
In terms of getting the adrenalin riled up, these three really do the trick - and they helped the Cardinals reach the World Series, to boot:
3 - Thursday, October 14, 2004 - Game 2 - NLCS vs Houston Astros - At Busch Stadium
Ten years ago today, the Cardinals had to fight tooth and nail to come away with a 6-4 win over a very tough Houston Astros wild card team. All six runs scored by the Redbirds came via the long ball - as St Louis took a two games to none advantage in this best-of-seven showdown - and it's a good thing they won both of those games. Otherwise, the Astros would have knocked the Redbirds out of the postseason for two straight years.
Down 3-0 in the fifth-inning, the Cardinals take a 4-3 lead on a pair of two-run home runs - one by Larry Walker and one by Scott Rolen. Undaunted, Houston came back to tie the game, 4-4.
Equally undaunted, the Cardinals took the lead for good in the eighth-inning. Back-to-back home runs by Albert Pujols and another by Scott Rolen (on an 0-2 pitch) made it a 6-4 lead - and that's where it stayed.
Julian Taverez pitched an inning of scoreless relief for the nerve-racking win.
2 - Wednesday, October 14, 1987 - Game 7 - NLCS vs San Francisco Giants - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals secured their third trip to the World Series in six seasons - with a Danny Cox complete-game eight-hit shutout of the Giants. The final score: 6-0.
What made Cardinal fans jump out of their seats was the completely unexpected second-inning three-run home run by switch-hitting Jose Oquendo - turning a slim 1-0 lead into a nice 4-0 cushion - all but ensuring victory for the Redbirds.
Jose's memorable blast off Giants starter Atlee Hammaker came as a right-handed batter, on a 3-2 pitch. For fans watching the blast on television - the image of that perfect swing connecting with that nice meatball - will be long-remembered.
But for the sheer joy of an unexpected source of power - nothing can compare to:
1 - Monday, October 14, 1985 - Game 5 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers - At Busch Stadium
The game and the series were tied, 2-2 - when switch-hitting Ozzie Smith stepped up to the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth-inning. Batting left-handed against Dodgers reliever Tom Niedenfuer - Ozzie had a home run cut on the first pitch, but fouled it back. The thought of Ozzie hitting a home run from that side of the plate was preposterous - but there he was hacking away - despite never going yard as a left-handed batter in his career.
Before all that ninth-inning drama unfolded, the game began with the Cardinals staking Bob Forsch to a quick 2-0 first-inning lead. Dodgers starter Fernando Valenzuela walked the first two batters - Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith - then Tommy Herr cashed in with a two-run double.
However, even though Herr would move up to third on a passed ball, with nobody out - the Cardinals failed to bring him in. Otherwise, this game would have ended in somewhat boring fashion, with a 3-2 win - after the Dodgers were retired in the top of the ninth. Theoretically, anyway.
In reality, the Dodgers scored their two runs in the fourth-inning, on a two-run home run off the bat of Bill Madlock.
Still deadlocked heading into the ninth-inning, Jeff Lahti retired LA in order - good enough for the win - although at the time, nobody knew it. Nobody knew when this game was actually going to end. Extra-innings seemed very likely - especially after McGee was retired for the first out to begin the bottom of the ninth.
When Ozzie connected on a Niedenfuer belt-high fastball, Jack Buck's incredulous call will forever be a part of Cardinal lore:
"Smith corks one down the line in right...It may go!...Go crazy, folks! Go crazy! The Cardinals have won the game, 3-2!...on a home run - by The Wizard! Go crazy!"
Three years ago today, on Friday, October 14, 2011, the Cardinals won a pivotal Game 5 of the NLCS over the Brewers at Busch Stadium, by a score of 6-2. Octavio Dotel, in relief of Jaime Garcia, entered the game with two on and two out in the fifth-inning to strike out the despicable Ryan Braun - before he was certifiably proven to be despicable. But that got him the win, as Jaime needed one more out to receive credit. With so much at stake, TLR wasn't about to let this one get away. St Louis now had a 3 games to two advantage over the Brewers.
Eight years ago today, on Saturday, October 14, 2006, the Cardinals blanked the Mets at Busch, 5-0, in Game 3 of the NLCS. Jeff Suppan got the win, with some help from the bullpen - and he even belted a solo home run for style points. St Louis now had a two games to one advantage over the Mets.
Those were wonderful postseason games to win, of course. And two out of the three victories facilitated a trip to the World Series - which concluded with world championships in both seasons. That first one against the Giants wasn't quite enough to help the Cardinals reach the Fall Classic, but maybe they'll pull off some miracles this time around in San Fran. Crazier things have happened already in this postseason.
In terms of getting the adrenalin riled up, these three really do the trick - and they helped the Cardinals reach the World Series, to boot:
3 - Thursday, October 14, 2004 - Game 2 - NLCS vs Houston Astros - At Busch Stadium
Ten years ago today, the Cardinals had to fight tooth and nail to come away with a 6-4 win over a very tough Houston Astros wild card team. All six runs scored by the Redbirds came via the long ball - as St Louis took a two games to none advantage in this best-of-seven showdown - and it's a good thing they won both of those games. Otherwise, the Astros would have knocked the Redbirds out of the postseason for two straight years.
Down 3-0 in the fifth-inning, the Cardinals take a 4-3 lead on a pair of two-run home runs - one by Larry Walker and one by Scott Rolen. Undaunted, Houston came back to tie the game, 4-4.
Equally undaunted, the Cardinals took the lead for good in the eighth-inning. Back-to-back home runs by Albert Pujols and another by Scott Rolen (on an 0-2 pitch) made it a 6-4 lead - and that's where it stayed.
Julian Taverez pitched an inning of scoreless relief for the nerve-racking win.
2 - Wednesday, October 14, 1987 - Game 7 - NLCS vs San Francisco Giants - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals secured their third trip to the World Series in six seasons - with a Danny Cox complete-game eight-hit shutout of the Giants. The final score: 6-0.
What made Cardinal fans jump out of their seats was the completely unexpected second-inning three-run home run by switch-hitting Jose Oquendo - turning a slim 1-0 lead into a nice 4-0 cushion - all but ensuring victory for the Redbirds.
Jose's memorable blast off Giants starter Atlee Hammaker came as a right-handed batter, on a 3-2 pitch. For fans watching the blast on television - the image of that perfect swing connecting with that nice meatball - will be long-remembered.
But for the sheer joy of an unexpected source of power - nothing can compare to:
1 - Monday, October 14, 1985 - Game 5 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers - At Busch Stadium
The game and the series were tied, 2-2 - when switch-hitting Ozzie Smith stepped up to the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth-inning. Batting left-handed against Dodgers reliever Tom Niedenfuer - Ozzie had a home run cut on the first pitch, but fouled it back. The thought of Ozzie hitting a home run from that side of the plate was preposterous - but there he was hacking away - despite never going yard as a left-handed batter in his career.
Before all that ninth-inning drama unfolded, the game began with the Cardinals staking Bob Forsch to a quick 2-0 first-inning lead. Dodgers starter Fernando Valenzuela walked the first two batters - Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith - then Tommy Herr cashed in with a two-run double.
However, even though Herr would move up to third on a passed ball, with nobody out - the Cardinals failed to bring him in. Otherwise, this game would have ended in somewhat boring fashion, with a 3-2 win - after the Dodgers were retired in the top of the ninth. Theoretically, anyway.
In reality, the Dodgers scored their two runs in the fourth-inning, on a two-run home run off the bat of Bill Madlock.
Still deadlocked heading into the ninth-inning, Jeff Lahti retired LA in order - good enough for the win - although at the time, nobody knew it. Nobody knew when this game was actually going to end. Extra-innings seemed very likely - especially after McGee was retired for the first out to begin the bottom of the ninth.
When Ozzie connected on a Niedenfuer belt-high fastball, Jack Buck's incredulous call will forever be a part of Cardinal lore:
"Smith corks one down the line in right...It may go!...Go crazy, folks! Go crazy! The Cardinals have won the game, 3-2!...on a home run - by The Wizard! Go crazy!"
Top 6 Cardinal Postseason Games: OCTOBER 13
6 - Saturday, October 13, 2001 - Game 4 - NLDS vs Arizona Diamondbacks - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals evened the NLDS at two games apiece, with a 4-1 win over the D-Backs. Bud Smith pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits - and the St Louis bullpen kept Arizona scoreless over the final four innings to preserve the win for the rookie.
Fernando Vina had three hits - including a home run - scored two runs and drove in two runs to pace the Cards attack. Jim Edmonds also homered in what would prove to be the Cardinals' last home game in 2001.
5 - Tuesday, October 13, 1987 - Game 6 - NLCS vs San Francisco Giants - At Busch Stadium
A misplayed second-inning line drive off the bat of Tony Pena by Giants right fielder Candy Maldonado turned an easy out into a lead-off triple - then Jose Oquendo got the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly - the only run scored in the game - to give the Cardinals a do-or-die 1-0 win over the Giants.
John Tudor blanked the Giants for 7.1 innings - then Todd Worrell and Ken Dayley preserved the win, to even the series at three games apiece.
4 - Sunday, October 13, 1985 - Game 4 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals scored nine runs in the second-inning to blow the game wide open - en route to a 12-2 drubbing of LA - to even the series at two games apiece. Every player in the St Louis lineup either scored or drove in at least one run. Tito Landrum - playing in place of the injured Vince Coleman - had 3 RBI. Coleman - the fastest player in major league baseball - had been injured earlier in the day by a runaway tarp machine traveling at 1 mph - and would be lost for the remainder of the postseason.
John Tudor breezed through seven innings - allowing one run on three hits, while striking out five - to get the win.
3 - Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - Game 1 - NLCS vs Houston Astros - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals managed to overcome four home runs by the visiting Astros, thanks to huge offensive nights from Albert Pujols (two hits - including a home run - two runs scored, two RBI), Jim Edmonds (two hits and three RBI) and Larry Walker (three hits - including a double and triple - three runs scored and one RBI). Final score: St Louis 10 - Houston 7
Woody Williams pitched six innings for the win - allowing four runs on four hits - including two of the four home runs off Cardinal pitching. Connecting for the Astros: Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent, Lance Berkman and Eric Lamb
2 - Wednesday, October 13, 1982 - Game 2 - World Series vs Milwaukee Brewers - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals evened the series at one game apiece with a crucial 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Brewers. Darrell Porter's two-run opposite field game-tying double off Brewers starter Don Sutton was the biggest hit - perhaps of the entire series. The winning run scored when rookie reliever Pete Ladd walked Steve Braun with the bases loaded in the eighth-inning to put the Redbirds on top for the first time in the game.
Bruce Sutter got his first career World Series win with 2.1 innings of scoreless two-hit relief.
1 - Friday, October 13, 2006 - Game 2 - NLCS vs New York Mets - At Shea Stadium
In a game the Cardinals absolutely had to win - pinch hitter So Taguchi's lead-off ninth-inning home run broke a 6-6 tie - then the Cardinals tacked on two more runs to hand the Mets a shocking 9-6 defeat at home - to even the series at one game apiece.
Pacing the well-rounded St Louis attack: Jim Edmonds' two-run home run - Scott Spezio added a double, a triple, two runs scored and three RBI - Yadier Molina had three hits with two RBI - and Albert Pujols had a pair of doubles and scored three runs.
Josh Kinney recorded his first and only career postseason win with an inning of scoreless relief. His total career workload in postseason play would amount to 6.1 IP - allowing just three hits - with a career ERA of 0.00.
After this wild game concluded with a rare postseason Cardinals' road win, you wouldn't blame anyone rooting for the Mets to suddenly have an aversion to any future Friday the 13th's.
But it was a most fortuitous day for Cardinal Nation, as this unlikely World Series championship team was just starting to click on all cylinders.
The Cardinals evened the NLDS at two games apiece, with a 4-1 win over the D-Backs. Bud Smith pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits - and the St Louis bullpen kept Arizona scoreless over the final four innings to preserve the win for the rookie.
Fernando Vina had three hits - including a home run - scored two runs and drove in two runs to pace the Cards attack. Jim Edmonds also homered in what would prove to be the Cardinals' last home game in 2001.
5 - Tuesday, October 13, 1987 - Game 6 - NLCS vs San Francisco Giants - At Busch Stadium
A misplayed second-inning line drive off the bat of Tony Pena by Giants right fielder Candy Maldonado turned an easy out into a lead-off triple - then Jose Oquendo got the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly - the only run scored in the game - to give the Cardinals a do-or-die 1-0 win over the Giants.
John Tudor blanked the Giants for 7.1 innings - then Todd Worrell and Ken Dayley preserved the win, to even the series at three games apiece.
4 - Sunday, October 13, 1985 - Game 4 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals scored nine runs in the second-inning to blow the game wide open - en route to a 12-2 drubbing of LA - to even the series at two games apiece. Every player in the St Louis lineup either scored or drove in at least one run. Tito Landrum - playing in place of the injured Vince Coleman - had 3 RBI. Coleman - the fastest player in major league baseball - had been injured earlier in the day by a runaway tarp machine traveling at 1 mph - and would be lost for the remainder of the postseason.
John Tudor breezed through seven innings - allowing one run on three hits, while striking out five - to get the win.
3 - Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - Game 1 - NLCS vs Houston Astros - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals managed to overcome four home runs by the visiting Astros, thanks to huge offensive nights from Albert Pujols (two hits - including a home run - two runs scored, two RBI), Jim Edmonds (two hits and three RBI) and Larry Walker (three hits - including a double and triple - three runs scored and one RBI). Final score: St Louis 10 - Houston 7
Woody Williams pitched six innings for the win - allowing four runs on four hits - including two of the four home runs off Cardinal pitching. Connecting for the Astros: Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent, Lance Berkman and Eric Lamb
2 - Wednesday, October 13, 1982 - Game 2 - World Series vs Milwaukee Brewers - At Busch Stadium
The Cardinals evened the series at one game apiece with a crucial 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Brewers. Darrell Porter's two-run opposite field game-tying double off Brewers starter Don Sutton was the biggest hit - perhaps of the entire series. The winning run scored when rookie reliever Pete Ladd walked Steve Braun with the bases loaded in the eighth-inning to put the Redbirds on top for the first time in the game.
Bruce Sutter got his first career World Series win with 2.1 innings of scoreless two-hit relief.
1 - Friday, October 13, 2006 - Game 2 - NLCS vs New York Mets - At Shea Stadium
In a game the Cardinals absolutely had to win - pinch hitter So Taguchi's lead-off ninth-inning home run broke a 6-6 tie - then the Cardinals tacked on two more runs to hand the Mets a shocking 9-6 defeat at home - to even the series at one game apiece.
Pacing the well-rounded St Louis attack: Jim Edmonds' two-run home run - Scott Spezio added a double, a triple, two runs scored and three RBI - Yadier Molina had three hits with two RBI - and Albert Pujols had a pair of doubles and scored three runs.
Josh Kinney recorded his first and only career postseason win with an inning of scoreless relief. His total career workload in postseason play would amount to 6.1 IP - allowing just three hits - with a career ERA of 0.00.
After this wild game concluded with a rare postseason Cardinals' road win, you wouldn't blame anyone rooting for the Mets to suddenly have an aversion to any future Friday the 13th's.
But it was a most fortuitous day for Cardinal Nation, as this unlikely World Series championship team was just starting to click on all cylinders.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Cardinals' Top 5 October 12 Postseason Games
October 12 has been a good day for Cardinal baseball over the years. For most other major league teams, whose postseason hopes usually disappear shortly after the All Star break, October 12 has been a good day to get in a round of golf. So there's always a bright side to every situation.
Of course, reaching the postseason isn't easy. The recent success of the Cardinals may have spoiled some fans, who now consider anything less than a World Series championship a disappointing season. Maybe they've forgotten (or too young to remember) the '70's - or most of the '90's. Even '96 - the only time the Cardinals qualified for postseason play in that decade - ended as nightmarish as could be imagined. Let's forget that even happened.
Whether or not 2014 will result in another trip to the Fall Classic for the Cardinals remains to be seen. Luckily, they're playing the Giants in Game Two of the NLCS on one of their favorite days for postseason success - October 12. How can they go wrong?
Top Five Cardinals' Postseason Games Played on October 12 (Since 1964):
5 - 2011 - Game 3 - NLCS vs Milwaukee Brewers
The Cardinals score four runs in the first-inning, then hang on for a 4-3 win over the Brewers.
Chris Carpenter gets the win and the bullpen provides some stellar relief, as St Louis takes a two games to one lead over their division rivals.
4 - 2013 - Game 2 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Michael Wacha strikes out eight in 6.2 shutout innings. Four relievers retire the final seven batters in order to preserve a 1-0 St Louis win.
The losing pitcher - Clayton Kershaw - only allowed one run - in the fifth-inning - when David Freese doubled, advanced to third on a passed ball, then scored on Jon Jay's sacrifice fly to left field.
As a side note, Carl Crawford made possibly the worst throw in major league history on the play - one day after Carlos Beltran made one of the greatest throws ever - nailing a runner at the plate (Mark Ellis) trying to tag up from third - in another game won by the Cardinals.
3 - 1964 - Game 5 - World Series vs New York Yankees
At Yankee Stadium - after the Yankees score two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth, Tim McCarver's three-run tenth-inning home run gives Bob Gibson a complete game 5-2 win.
Taking a shutout into the ninth-inning, the first batter Gibson faces - Mickey Mantle - reaches base when Cards shortstop Dick Groat boots his ground ball. One out later, Gibson made perhaps the greatest fielding play by a pitcher in World Series history - when he pounces on the ball that struck him off the bat of Joe Pepitone - making an off-balance throw to first to barely nab the runner.
Had Pepitone reached base, Tom Tresh's home run would have won the game. Instead it only tied the game - setting up McCarver's tenth-inning heroics.
Gibson got the final three outs in the bottom of the tenth - and became a legend in the process.
2 - 1967 - Game 7 - World Series vs Boston Red Sox
At Fenway Park, the Cardinals become World Champions for the second time in four seasons - with a 7-2 win over the Red Sox.
Bob Gibson goes the distance - allowing two runs on three hits and three walks. He also struck out ten batters.
Boston ace Jim Lonborg - working on just two days rest - is tagged for all seven runs - including a solo home run from Bob Gibson and a three-run bomb by Julian Javier.
Prior to the game, Boston manager Dick Williams was asked by a local beat writer what he expected in this Lonborg vs Gibson showdown. His response would be chanted by a relentless Gibson & company as the Cardinals celebrated in the visitors' clubhouse: "Lonborg and champagne!"
1 - 2012 - Game 5 - NLDS vs Washington Nationals
After the Nats had taken a 6-0 lead over Adam Wainwright and the Cards in the first three-innings of play, a newly retired and bitter Chipper Jones - formerly of the freshly eliminated (by the Cardinals) Atlanta Braves - felt compelled to announce to his Twitter followers what was going on in this game: "It's over!"
Not quite, Chipper. While the Cardinal bullpen kept the Nats at bay, the Redbirds pecked away at that deficit. Matt Holliday's fourth-inning RBI double scored Beltran: 6-1.
In the fifth-inning, the Cards scored two more runs on two hits, three walks and a wild pitch - as Washington starter Gio Gonzalez began to unravel: 6-3.
In the seventh, Matt Holliday's infield ground out scored Jon Jay from third, as the partisan crowd slowly went from raucous party mode to subdued paranoia: 6-4.
Daniel Descalso's eighth-inning lead-off home run drew the Cardinals within one run: 6-5.
The Nationals answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the eighth, as the mood of the crowd shifted to 95% high octane party mode again. As the ninth-inning began, nobody wanted to sit down. They had to savor the final three outs which would send their team to the NLCS: 7-5.
With closer Drew Storen on the mound, Carlos Beltran bounced a lead-off double off the wall in right center field. But then Matt Holliday grounded out to third - and the next batter - Allen Craig struck out on a pitch about a foot off the plate, for out number two.
As the crowd began singing and dancing and hugging one another, Yadier Molina and David Freese both walked to load the bases. The celebratory mood of the crowd once again shifted into stunned silence - although a few brave souls scorned the presence of Daniel Descalso now batting for St Louis. But Daniel was hot - lining a shot up the middle that was hit so hard, it nearly took shortstop Ian Desmond's glove off. Beltran and pinch runner (for Molina) Adron Chambers both scored: 7-7.
Descalso could also run - swiping second, uncontested. Two runners now in scoring position.
Next up - Pete Kozma - smacked a belt-high fastball on the outside corner down the right field line - scoring Freese and Chambers to give the Cardinals a shocking 9-7 lead. No one was more thrilled about this than the on-deck hitter - Jason Motte - who had allowed that insurance run the Nats had scored in the eighth-inning. But it wasn't enough insurance.
A reprieved Motte retired the Nats in order in the ninth to seal this improbable come-from-behind division series clincher. Bryce Harper, who fanned for the second out in the inning, was so thrilled about blowing this game, he defiantly grabbed his crotch while staring down a bemused Motte.
Undaunted, Jason then induced Ryan Zimmerman to pop out to the biggest hero of the night - second baseman Daniel Descalso - to seal the deal.
The Wild Cards had beaten the number-one team in the National League in the division series for the second consecutive year (the Phillies and now the Nats) - in a deciding fifth game on enemy turf.
It's no wonder so many opposing fans hate the Cardinals.
Let's hope the Giants fans will hate the Cardinals just a little bit more after this particular October 12 game.
Of course, reaching the postseason isn't easy. The recent success of the Cardinals may have spoiled some fans, who now consider anything less than a World Series championship a disappointing season. Maybe they've forgotten (or too young to remember) the '70's - or most of the '90's. Even '96 - the only time the Cardinals qualified for postseason play in that decade - ended as nightmarish as could be imagined. Let's forget that even happened.
Whether or not 2014 will result in another trip to the Fall Classic for the Cardinals remains to be seen. Luckily, they're playing the Giants in Game Two of the NLCS on one of their favorite days for postseason success - October 12. How can they go wrong?
Top Five Cardinals' Postseason Games Played on October 12 (Since 1964):
5 - 2011 - Game 3 - NLCS vs Milwaukee Brewers
The Cardinals score four runs in the first-inning, then hang on for a 4-3 win over the Brewers.
Chris Carpenter gets the win and the bullpen provides some stellar relief, as St Louis takes a two games to one lead over their division rivals.
4 - 2013 - Game 2 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Michael Wacha strikes out eight in 6.2 shutout innings. Four relievers retire the final seven batters in order to preserve a 1-0 St Louis win.
The losing pitcher - Clayton Kershaw - only allowed one run - in the fifth-inning - when David Freese doubled, advanced to third on a passed ball, then scored on Jon Jay's sacrifice fly to left field.
As a side note, Carl Crawford made possibly the worst throw in major league history on the play - one day after Carlos Beltran made one of the greatest throws ever - nailing a runner at the plate (Mark Ellis) trying to tag up from third - in another game won by the Cardinals.
3 - 1964 - Game 5 - World Series vs New York Yankees
At Yankee Stadium - after the Yankees score two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth, Tim McCarver's three-run tenth-inning home run gives Bob Gibson a complete game 5-2 win.
Taking a shutout into the ninth-inning, the first batter Gibson faces - Mickey Mantle - reaches base when Cards shortstop Dick Groat boots his ground ball. One out later, Gibson made perhaps the greatest fielding play by a pitcher in World Series history - when he pounces on the ball that struck him off the bat of Joe Pepitone - making an off-balance throw to first to barely nab the runner.
Had Pepitone reached base, Tom Tresh's home run would have won the game. Instead it only tied the game - setting up McCarver's tenth-inning heroics.
Gibson got the final three outs in the bottom of the tenth - and became a legend in the process.
2 - 1967 - Game 7 - World Series vs Boston Red Sox
At Fenway Park, the Cardinals become World Champions for the second time in four seasons - with a 7-2 win over the Red Sox.
Bob Gibson goes the distance - allowing two runs on three hits and three walks. He also struck out ten batters.
Boston ace Jim Lonborg - working on just two days rest - is tagged for all seven runs - including a solo home run from Bob Gibson and a three-run bomb by Julian Javier.
Prior to the game, Boston manager Dick Williams was asked by a local beat writer what he expected in this Lonborg vs Gibson showdown. His response would be chanted by a relentless Gibson & company as the Cardinals celebrated in the visitors' clubhouse: "Lonborg and champagne!"
1 - 2012 - Game 5 - NLDS vs Washington Nationals
After the Nats had taken a 6-0 lead over Adam Wainwright and the Cards in the first three-innings of play, a newly retired and bitter Chipper Jones - formerly of the freshly eliminated (by the Cardinals) Atlanta Braves - felt compelled to announce to his Twitter followers what was going on in this game: "It's over!"
Not quite, Chipper. While the Cardinal bullpen kept the Nats at bay, the Redbirds pecked away at that deficit. Matt Holliday's fourth-inning RBI double scored Beltran: 6-1.
In the fifth-inning, the Cards scored two more runs on two hits, three walks and a wild pitch - as Washington starter Gio Gonzalez began to unravel: 6-3.
In the seventh, Matt Holliday's infield ground out scored Jon Jay from third, as the partisan crowd slowly went from raucous party mode to subdued paranoia: 6-4.
Daniel Descalso's eighth-inning lead-off home run drew the Cardinals within one run: 6-5.
The Nationals answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the eighth, as the mood of the crowd shifted to 95% high octane party mode again. As the ninth-inning began, nobody wanted to sit down. They had to savor the final three outs which would send their team to the NLCS: 7-5.
With closer Drew Storen on the mound, Carlos Beltran bounced a lead-off double off the wall in right center field. But then Matt Holliday grounded out to third - and the next batter - Allen Craig struck out on a pitch about a foot off the plate, for out number two.
As the crowd began singing and dancing and hugging one another, Yadier Molina and David Freese both walked to load the bases. The celebratory mood of the crowd once again shifted into stunned silence - although a few brave souls scorned the presence of Daniel Descalso now batting for St Louis. But Daniel was hot - lining a shot up the middle that was hit so hard, it nearly took shortstop Ian Desmond's glove off. Beltran and pinch runner (for Molina) Adron Chambers both scored: 7-7.
Descalso could also run - swiping second, uncontested. Two runners now in scoring position.
Next up - Pete Kozma - smacked a belt-high fastball on the outside corner down the right field line - scoring Freese and Chambers to give the Cardinals a shocking 9-7 lead. No one was more thrilled about this than the on-deck hitter - Jason Motte - who had allowed that insurance run the Nats had scored in the eighth-inning. But it wasn't enough insurance.
A reprieved Motte retired the Nats in order in the ninth to seal this improbable come-from-behind division series clincher. Bryce Harper, who fanned for the second out in the inning, was so thrilled about blowing this game, he defiantly grabbed his crotch while staring down a bemused Motte.
Undaunted, Jason then induced Ryan Zimmerman to pop out to the biggest hero of the night - second baseman Daniel Descalso - to seal the deal.
The Wild Cards had beaten the number-one team in the National League in the division series for the second consecutive year (the Phillies and now the Nats) - in a deciding fifth game on enemy turf.
It's no wonder so many opposing fans hate the Cardinals.
Let's hope the Giants fans will hate the Cardinals just a little bit more after this particular October 12 game.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
September 18, 1968 - Washburn Returns the No-Hit Favor to Giants
Wednesday, September 18, 1968 - At Candlestick Park (Ray Washburn - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Francisco Giants (Bobby Bolin - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 4,703
One day after San Francisco Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry no-hit the newly-crowned and possibly-hung-over-National League champion St Louis Cardinals, by a final score of 1-0 - Ray Washburn made baseball history when he returned the no-hit favor. Fortunately, his team was able to score a couple of runs late in this game, to win it by a score of 2-0.
It was the first (and only) time opposing pitchers had ever thrown back-to-back no-hitters - but it really came as no big surprise. After all, this was The Year of The Pitcher. Even the game's best pitcher in '68 - Bob Gibson - knew he'd have to throw at least a nine-inning shutout to stand a reasonably good chance of winning on any given day. As fate would have it, Gibson happened to be the starter on the same day Perry utilized his petroleum jelly skills to maximum efficiency against a bleary-eyed St Louis lineup in Tuesday's series opener at the Stick.
The lone run Gibby allowed in that one - came via a first-inning home run off the bat of Ron Home Run Hunt - who managed to go yard twice that season.
This time, it was Giants starter Bobby Bolin who pitched a fine game (8 IP - 7 H - 2 R - 2 BB - 6 SO) but got no help from a lineup whose offensive production amounted to five scattered walks - then going 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position.
The game was still scoreless after six innings - which meant the Cardinals had been scoreless for fifteen consecutive innings in San Francisco - when Mike Shannon snapped the streak with a double that scored Orlando Cepeda from second base, to give Washburn the necessary run support to achieve personal victory.
Then for good measure, the Redbirds tacked on an insurance run in the eighth - when Curt Flood singled home Dick Schofield from third - who had doubled leading-off the inning.
As Washburn went back to the mound to begin his final inning of work, the partisan Giants gathering seemed to appreciate the historical implications of what was taking place. The first batter - Ron Hunt - who won yesterday's game with a first-inning home run off Gibson - grounded out to second, as Gibson glared in his direction from the visitor's dugout - no doubt reflecting back to the absurdity of his accomplishment on Tuesday.
The next batter - Willie Mays - created a stir whenever he stepped into the batter's box. But he too, was retired on a ground ball to an infielder - third baseman Mike Shannon - today's hitting hero - avoided becoming the goat by handling this chance cleanly for out number two.
With a two-run lead, the presence of the final hitter - Willie McCovey - was maybe a bit less nerve-wracking than usual, since nobody was on base. However, with a two-team back-to-back no-hitter on the line, the nail-biting index was still at record levels. When McCovey's lazy fly ball to Flood in center became the final out of the game - Washburn (13-7) had notched the only no-hitter the Cardinals' pitching staff compiled in 1968.
Of course, it was also one of a franchise-record thirty shutouts registered by the staff that season. Certainly, Cardinal pitchers did their part in helping major league baseball decide to lower the mound for the '69 season. Not surprisingly, no other team has blanked opponents as many as thirty times in a season since The Year of The Pitcher.
In 2014, after Adam Wainwright's latest shutout, St Louis now has twenty-one of 'em - and this season may have a few more to add to that list. Currently, Wainwright & Company have tied the 1943 Cards with those twenty-one shutouts - for the third highest total in franchise history. The second highest total was compiled the very next season - 1944 - when they tossed twenty-six shutouts. The 1985 Cardinals had twenty shutouts, for sole possession of fifth-place. In sixth-place, with eighteen shutouts: The '42 edition,
Those five previous teams had something in common: They made a World Series appearance each time - winning the championship twice - in '42 and '44 - when they beat the Yankees and then the St Louis Browns.
Seventy years later, maybe a rematch of the '44 World Series is in order? The St Louis Cardinals vs the Baltimore Orioles would be interesting. Of course, Cards vs Angels would be even more interesting.
One day after San Francisco Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry no-hit the newly-crowned and possibly-hung-over-National League champion St Louis Cardinals, by a final score of 1-0 - Ray Washburn made baseball history when he returned the no-hit favor. Fortunately, his team was able to score a couple of runs late in this game, to win it by a score of 2-0.
It was the first (and only) time opposing pitchers had ever thrown back-to-back no-hitters - but it really came as no big surprise. After all, this was The Year of The Pitcher. Even the game's best pitcher in '68 - Bob Gibson - knew he'd have to throw at least a nine-inning shutout to stand a reasonably good chance of winning on any given day. As fate would have it, Gibson happened to be the starter on the same day Perry utilized his petroleum jelly skills to maximum efficiency against a bleary-eyed St Louis lineup in Tuesday's series opener at the Stick.
The lone run Gibby allowed in that one - came via a first-inning home run off the bat of Ron Home Run Hunt - who managed to go yard twice that season.
This time, it was Giants starter Bobby Bolin who pitched a fine game (8 IP - 7 H - 2 R - 2 BB - 6 SO) but got no help from a lineup whose offensive production amounted to five scattered walks - then going 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position.
The game was still scoreless after six innings - which meant the Cardinals had been scoreless for fifteen consecutive innings in San Francisco - when Mike Shannon snapped the streak with a double that scored Orlando Cepeda from second base, to give Washburn the necessary run support to achieve personal victory.
Then for good measure, the Redbirds tacked on an insurance run in the eighth - when Curt Flood singled home Dick Schofield from third - who had doubled leading-off the inning.
As Washburn went back to the mound to begin his final inning of work, the partisan Giants gathering seemed to appreciate the historical implications of what was taking place. The first batter - Ron Hunt - who won yesterday's game with a first-inning home run off Gibson - grounded out to second, as Gibson glared in his direction from the visitor's dugout - no doubt reflecting back to the absurdity of his accomplishment on Tuesday.
The next batter - Willie Mays - created a stir whenever he stepped into the batter's box. But he too, was retired on a ground ball to an infielder - third baseman Mike Shannon - today's hitting hero - avoided becoming the goat by handling this chance cleanly for out number two.
With a two-run lead, the presence of the final hitter - Willie McCovey - was maybe a bit less nerve-wracking than usual, since nobody was on base. However, with a two-team back-to-back no-hitter on the line, the nail-biting index was still at record levels. When McCovey's lazy fly ball to Flood in center became the final out of the game - Washburn (13-7) had notched the only no-hitter the Cardinals' pitching staff compiled in 1968.
Of course, it was also one of a franchise-record thirty shutouts registered by the staff that season. Certainly, Cardinal pitchers did their part in helping major league baseball decide to lower the mound for the '69 season. Not surprisingly, no other team has blanked opponents as many as thirty times in a season since The Year of The Pitcher.
In 2014, after Adam Wainwright's latest shutout, St Louis now has twenty-one of 'em - and this season may have a few more to add to that list. Currently, Wainwright & Company have tied the 1943 Cards with those twenty-one shutouts - for the third highest total in franchise history. The second highest total was compiled the very next season - 1944 - when they tossed twenty-six shutouts. The 1985 Cardinals had twenty shutouts, for sole possession of fifth-place. In sixth-place, with eighteen shutouts: The '42 edition,
Those five previous teams had something in common: They made a World Series appearance each time - winning the championship twice - in '42 and '44 - when they beat the Yankees and then the St Louis Browns.
Seventy years later, maybe a rematch of the '44 World Series is in order? The St Louis Cardinals vs the Baltimore Orioles would be interesting. Of course, Cards vs Angels would be even more interesting.
Friday, August 22, 2014
August 22, 1982 - "Brummer's Stealing Home!"
Sunday, August 22, 1982 - At Busch Stadium II (Joaquin Andujar - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Francisco Giants (Atlee Hammaker - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 46,821
No one in their right mind would have imagined it. No one in their right mind would have attempted it. But it happened anyway. In the bottom of the twelfth-inning in a tie ballgame with the San Francisco Giants, the Cardinals had just loaded the bases with two out. In the batter's box was David Green and on third base was an antsy Glen Brummer. As Giants reliever Gary LaVelle began his windup, Brummer suddenly bolted towards home plate. Home plate umpire Dave Pallone - no stranger to controversial calls - ruled Brummer safe at home. The Giants vehemently argued that the pitch taken by Green was in the strike zone - for what should have been a third strike. Pallone insisted it was a ball - and even if he had second thoughts, it was too late to do anything about it once the pandemonium on the field erupted - which began about one second after his "safe" call.
Perhaps the Cardinals caught a break - but those things tend to even out over the course of a season. One thing is certain: From that day forward, whenever the name "Glen Brummer" pops up in a conversation throughout Cardinal Nation, it will invariably be linked to that audacious 12th-inning walk-off theft of home in the middle of a heated pennant race. It was perhaps the single most defining moment of the entire regular season for the Redbirds.
Even before that crazy finish, this game had its share of drama. The Cardinals struck first off Giants starter Atlee Hammaker - scoring a second-inning run on back-to-back doubles by George Hendrick and Gene Tenace.
Then in the fourth-inning, with Hendrick on first base with two out, Willie McGee homered to give St Louis a 3-0 lead.
Cards starter Joaquin Andujar pitched five innings of scoreless ball before unraveling in the sixth. A one-out two-run double by Jack Clark preceded a Darrell Evans single to bring home the Ripper. After Dave Bergman lined another single wihch advanced Evans to third, manager Whitey Herzog yanked his Dominican Dandy in favor of the lefty reliever - John Martin. The first batter he faced - Milt May - scored Evans from third with the go-ahead run on a ground out to second - but Martin did a nice job of damage control just to keep it a 4-3 deficit. Martin departed after pitching a scoreless seventh - then Doug Bair added two more perfect innings of relief.
The Cardinals were still down 4-3 entering their half of the ninth-inning - as closer Greg Minton tried to nail it down for Frank Robinson's squad. He struck out the first batter he faced - Ozzie Smith - but hit the next batter with a pitch - the speedy David Green - who wasted no time in stealing second with Tommy Herr batting. Green then took off for third - but Herr grounded out to the shortstop - perhaps foiling another successful steal by Green.
With the Cardinals down to their last out, Ken Oberkfell came through with the game-tying hit - a double into right field. This one was heading into extra innings.
Jim Kaat came out of the Cardinal bullpen to pitch the tenth-inning. The first batter he faced - Will Venable - stirred up some trouble with a double. Then with Joe Morgan batting and Glen Brummer now catching, Morgan lifted a foul popup behind home plate - which Brummer dropped. Kaat - the cool professional - gave his young catcher a look that said, "Shucks, don't worry about it kid!" He struck Morgan out on the next pitch.
After walking Chili Davis intentionally - Kaat then induced pinch hitter Jim Wohlford to ground one to Tommy Herr for the easy 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
The Cardinals threatened to end it in the eleventh - but luckily, they kept the game going - for the twelfth-inning Glen Brummer Show. Herr was stationed on third with one out - after he was picked off first by the new Giants pitcher - Gary LaVelle - but first baseman Dave Bergman forgot to catch the ball. However, pitcher Jeff Lahti was the next batter - and he could only hit a weak ground ball back to the pitcher - as Herr had nowhere to run. For a split second, it appeared Keith Hernandez might end it - but his line drive was snared by Bergman this time - probably more in self-defense than anything else.
After Lahti finished his perfect 1.1 inning stint, LaVelle returned to the mound to face the Cardinals in the fateful twelfth-inning. After Hendrick flew out to left to start the inning, our hero - Brummer - always up there hacking - singled to left. It's interesting to note - in 64 plate appearances in 1982 - Brummer rarely saw a pitch he didn't like. He never walked. In other words, this kid appeared to be too impatient to waste time dilly dallying around - which may explain why he suddenly bolted for home plate out of the blue a few minutes into the future.
Willie McGee - who homered earlier in this game - lined a single to left, as Brummer showed great restraint by stopping at second base. After Julio Gonzalez was retired on a foul popup to the suddenly sure-handed Bergman at first base - Ozzie kept the inning alive with an infield single off the pitcher's glove.
Holy cow, the bases were now loaded. What happened next was described by the astonished Mike Shannon on the Cardinals' radio network: "Brummer's stealing home!"
Yes, he was safe - raising his season stolen base total to two (he had four in his brief major league career).
Most importantly, the NL East division-leading Cardinals (71-52) didn't lose any ground to the Phillies - who also won on this Sunday afternoon - so they were still two games behind the Runnin' Redbirds in the tight NL East race.
No one in their right mind would have imagined it. No one in their right mind would have attempted it. But it happened anyway. In the bottom of the twelfth-inning in a tie ballgame with the San Francisco Giants, the Cardinals had just loaded the bases with two out. In the batter's box was David Green and on third base was an antsy Glen Brummer. As Giants reliever Gary LaVelle began his windup, Brummer suddenly bolted towards home plate. Home plate umpire Dave Pallone - no stranger to controversial calls - ruled Brummer safe at home. The Giants vehemently argued that the pitch taken by Green was in the strike zone - for what should have been a third strike. Pallone insisted it was a ball - and even if he had second thoughts, it was too late to do anything about it once the pandemonium on the field erupted - which began about one second after his "safe" call.
Perhaps the Cardinals caught a break - but those things tend to even out over the course of a season. One thing is certain: From that day forward, whenever the name "Glen Brummer" pops up in a conversation throughout Cardinal Nation, it will invariably be linked to that audacious 12th-inning walk-off theft of home in the middle of a heated pennant race. It was perhaps the single most defining moment of the entire regular season for the Redbirds.
Even before that crazy finish, this game had its share of drama. The Cardinals struck first off Giants starter Atlee Hammaker - scoring a second-inning run on back-to-back doubles by George Hendrick and Gene Tenace.
Then in the fourth-inning, with Hendrick on first base with two out, Willie McGee homered to give St Louis a 3-0 lead.
Cards starter Joaquin Andujar pitched five innings of scoreless ball before unraveling in the sixth. A one-out two-run double by Jack Clark preceded a Darrell Evans single to bring home the Ripper. After Dave Bergman lined another single wihch advanced Evans to third, manager Whitey Herzog yanked his Dominican Dandy in favor of the lefty reliever - John Martin. The first batter he faced - Milt May - scored Evans from third with the go-ahead run on a ground out to second - but Martin did a nice job of damage control just to keep it a 4-3 deficit. Martin departed after pitching a scoreless seventh - then Doug Bair added two more perfect innings of relief.
The Cardinals were still down 4-3 entering their half of the ninth-inning - as closer Greg Minton tried to nail it down for Frank Robinson's squad. He struck out the first batter he faced - Ozzie Smith - but hit the next batter with a pitch - the speedy David Green - who wasted no time in stealing second with Tommy Herr batting. Green then took off for third - but Herr grounded out to the shortstop - perhaps foiling another successful steal by Green.
With the Cardinals down to their last out, Ken Oberkfell came through with the game-tying hit - a double into right field. This one was heading into extra innings.
Jim Kaat came out of the Cardinal bullpen to pitch the tenth-inning. The first batter he faced - Will Venable - stirred up some trouble with a double. Then with Joe Morgan batting and Glen Brummer now catching, Morgan lifted a foul popup behind home plate - which Brummer dropped. Kaat - the cool professional - gave his young catcher a look that said, "Shucks, don't worry about it kid!" He struck Morgan out on the next pitch.
After walking Chili Davis intentionally - Kaat then induced pinch hitter Jim Wohlford to ground one to Tommy Herr for the easy 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
The Cardinals threatened to end it in the eleventh - but luckily, they kept the game going - for the twelfth-inning Glen Brummer Show. Herr was stationed on third with one out - after he was picked off first by the new Giants pitcher - Gary LaVelle - but first baseman Dave Bergman forgot to catch the ball. However, pitcher Jeff Lahti was the next batter - and he could only hit a weak ground ball back to the pitcher - as Herr had nowhere to run. For a split second, it appeared Keith Hernandez might end it - but his line drive was snared by Bergman this time - probably more in self-defense than anything else.
After Lahti finished his perfect 1.1 inning stint, LaVelle returned to the mound to face the Cardinals in the fateful twelfth-inning. After Hendrick flew out to left to start the inning, our hero - Brummer - always up there hacking - singled to left. It's interesting to note - in 64 plate appearances in 1982 - Brummer rarely saw a pitch he didn't like. He never walked. In other words, this kid appeared to be too impatient to waste time dilly dallying around - which may explain why he suddenly bolted for home plate out of the blue a few minutes into the future.
Willie McGee - who homered earlier in this game - lined a single to left, as Brummer showed great restraint by stopping at second base. After Julio Gonzalez was retired on a foul popup to the suddenly sure-handed Bergman at first base - Ozzie kept the inning alive with an infield single off the pitcher's glove.
Holy cow, the bases were now loaded. What happened next was described by the astonished Mike Shannon on the Cardinals' radio network: "Brummer's stealing home!"
Yes, he was safe - raising his season stolen base total to two (he had four in his brief major league career).
Most importantly, the NL East division-leading Cardinals (71-52) didn't lose any ground to the Phillies - who also won on this Sunday afternoon - so they were still two games behind the Runnin' Redbirds in the tight NL East race.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
August 21, 1964 - Cards' 3-Run 9th at Candlestick Burns Giants - 6-5
Friday, August 21, 1964 - At Candlestick Park (Curt Simmons - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Francisco Giants (Bob Hendley - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 19,644
Trailing by two runs with two outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth-inning at Candlestick Park - the Cardinals managed to score three times for an improbable 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. With this unlikely victory, the fourth-place Redbirds managed to keep pace with first-place Philadephia - who had already beaten Pittsburgh. That's the good news. The bad news: The Cardinals were still ten games out of first place. No big deal.
The Cardinals got off to a flying start off Giants starter Bob Hendley - scoring two first-inning runs when Ken Boyer doubled home Curt Flood from second and Dick Groat from first - staking Curt Simmons to an early lead.
Unfortunately, Simmons quickly relinquished that lead in the bottom of the first. After lead-off hitter Harvey Kuenn doubled, Hal Lanier advanced him to third with a single. Simmons then managed to strike out Willie Mays, but Orlando Cepeda brought in Kuenn with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half. Next up - Jim Ray Hart - homered to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.
The situation worsened when San Francisco added another run in the second off the veteran St Louis southpaw. Jim Davenport tripled to start the Cardinals' bullpen stirring. This was going to be a very short outing for Simmons, who did manage to strike out Tom Haller - but he was unable to prevent Bob Hendley from bringing in the run with a well-executed squeeze bunt. Simmons retired Hendley as second baseman Julian Javier covered first for the putout. However, after Kuenn tripled, manager Johnny Keane had seen enough - bringing in Bob Humphreys to face Lanier - and he got him to retire the side.
After the Cardinals failed to score in the third-inning, the Giants added another run in the bottom half - when Cepeda got his second RBI of the game with a solo home run. San Francisco now had a 5-2 lead - but that would be the last run they'd score in this game.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals scored an unearned run in the fifth-inning. Curt Flood led-off with a single - but Lou Brock was called out on strikes. Then, with Flood running on the pitch - Dick Groat hit a routine ground ball to third baseman Hart - who made an errant throw to first which Cepeda was unable to dig out of the dirt. With runners on first and second, Boyer got his third RBI of the game with a base hit that scored Flood.
The Cardinals, trailing by a 5-3 score, started the sixth-inning in promising fashion with a triple by Mike Shannon. However, backup catcher Bob Uecker demonstrated why he was the backup catcher - by popping up to the second baseman for out number one. After pinch hitter Carl Warwick walked, manager Al Dark made a pitching change - bringing in Jim Duffalo to face Curt Flood - who struck out. Brock then grounded out to end the threat.
The Cardinals again threatened in the seventh-inning, with Dick Groat leading off with a triple. Ken Boyer then walked - but Duffalo got Bill White on a pop up to the second baseman. With Julian Javier due up next, Keane decided to pinch hit for him - with the veteran Bob Skinner - but he struck out. Shannon then grounded out to the second baseman, who forced Boyer at second - unassisted.
After the Cardinals went quietly in the eighth-inning, it was the Giants' turn to squander a golden scoring opportunity in the bottom half. With Ron Taylor now pitching for St Louis, Jesus Alou led-off with a single to right field. Next up - Jim Davenport - reached on an infield single which shortstop Dick Groat fielded, but couldn't make a play. But then Taylor induced Tom Haller to ground one to Dal Maxvill at second base - who entered the game as a replacement for Javier - who left the game when Skinner pinch hit for him in the seventh. Maxvill flipped the ball to Groat who turned the easy double play. Alou was on third with two out, but the next batter was the pitcher - Duffalo - who struck out to end the inning.
Duffalo returned to the mound to face the Cardinals in the ninth-inning - trying to protect a 5-3 lead. Brock led-off with a single - but the next two batters - Groat and Boyer - were both retired on ground balls to the second baseman, as Brock advanced to second. The next batter - Bill White - who represented the tying run - was intentionally walked - bringing the light-hitting Dal Maxvill to the dish. Javier's replacement in the lineup promptly lined a single to left field - scoring Brock - and putting the tying run - White, who was intentionally walked - in scoring position.
Mike Shannon then lined a single to center to score White - and when second baseman Hal Lanier inexplicably missed the throw from Mays - Maxvill came all the way around to score the go-ahead run - and Shannon advanced to third while the Giants were running around trying to stop that runaway ball.
A stunned Jim Duffalo was relieved of duty by this time - as the veteran lefty Billy Pierce finally stopped the bleeding by getting pinch hitter Jerry Bucheck on a fly ball to a bewildered Mays in center.
Out of the Cardinal bullpen to close out the game came their new secret weapon - knuckle ball specialist Barney Schultz - who retired Kuenn on a ground ball to the shortstop - then induced pinch hitter Duke Snider to ground out harmlessly to second. Schultz recorded his sixth save of the season by getting Willie Mays - who had a home run cut - to pop out to Groat at shortstop to end it.
The Cardinals had come back from the dead to win this game - but after dropping the final two games of this series, St Louis would slip to eleven games back of Philadelphia on August 23 - the low-water mark for the entire season. The most remarkable finish to any major league season was in store, although nobody could have possibly imagined what was about to transpire.
One thing Cardinal fans know for sure, fifty years later: It's a good thing they won this game.
Trailing by two runs with two outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth-inning at Candlestick Park - the Cardinals managed to score three times for an improbable 6-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. With this unlikely victory, the fourth-place Redbirds managed to keep pace with first-place Philadephia - who had already beaten Pittsburgh. That's the good news. The bad news: The Cardinals were still ten games out of first place. No big deal.
The Cardinals got off to a flying start off Giants starter Bob Hendley - scoring two first-inning runs when Ken Boyer doubled home Curt Flood from second and Dick Groat from first - staking Curt Simmons to an early lead.
Unfortunately, Simmons quickly relinquished that lead in the bottom of the first. After lead-off hitter Harvey Kuenn doubled, Hal Lanier advanced him to third with a single. Simmons then managed to strike out Willie Mays, but Orlando Cepeda brought in Kuenn with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half. Next up - Jim Ray Hart - homered to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.
The situation worsened when San Francisco added another run in the second off the veteran St Louis southpaw. Jim Davenport tripled to start the Cardinals' bullpen stirring. This was going to be a very short outing for Simmons, who did manage to strike out Tom Haller - but he was unable to prevent Bob Hendley from bringing in the run with a well-executed squeeze bunt. Simmons retired Hendley as second baseman Julian Javier covered first for the putout. However, after Kuenn tripled, manager Johnny Keane had seen enough - bringing in Bob Humphreys to face Lanier - and he got him to retire the side.
After the Cardinals failed to score in the third-inning, the Giants added another run in the bottom half - when Cepeda got his second RBI of the game with a solo home run. San Francisco now had a 5-2 lead - but that would be the last run they'd score in this game.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals scored an unearned run in the fifth-inning. Curt Flood led-off with a single - but Lou Brock was called out on strikes. Then, with Flood running on the pitch - Dick Groat hit a routine ground ball to third baseman Hart - who made an errant throw to first which Cepeda was unable to dig out of the dirt. With runners on first and second, Boyer got his third RBI of the game with a base hit that scored Flood.
The Cardinals, trailing by a 5-3 score, started the sixth-inning in promising fashion with a triple by Mike Shannon. However, backup catcher Bob Uecker demonstrated why he was the backup catcher - by popping up to the second baseman for out number one. After pinch hitter Carl Warwick walked, manager Al Dark made a pitching change - bringing in Jim Duffalo to face Curt Flood - who struck out. Brock then grounded out to end the threat.
The Cardinals again threatened in the seventh-inning, with Dick Groat leading off with a triple. Ken Boyer then walked - but Duffalo got Bill White on a pop up to the second baseman. With Julian Javier due up next, Keane decided to pinch hit for him - with the veteran Bob Skinner - but he struck out. Shannon then grounded out to the second baseman, who forced Boyer at second - unassisted.
After the Cardinals went quietly in the eighth-inning, it was the Giants' turn to squander a golden scoring opportunity in the bottom half. With Ron Taylor now pitching for St Louis, Jesus Alou led-off with a single to right field. Next up - Jim Davenport - reached on an infield single which shortstop Dick Groat fielded, but couldn't make a play. But then Taylor induced Tom Haller to ground one to Dal Maxvill at second base - who entered the game as a replacement for Javier - who left the game when Skinner pinch hit for him in the seventh. Maxvill flipped the ball to Groat who turned the easy double play. Alou was on third with two out, but the next batter was the pitcher - Duffalo - who struck out to end the inning.
Duffalo returned to the mound to face the Cardinals in the ninth-inning - trying to protect a 5-3 lead. Brock led-off with a single - but the next two batters - Groat and Boyer - were both retired on ground balls to the second baseman, as Brock advanced to second. The next batter - Bill White - who represented the tying run - was intentionally walked - bringing the light-hitting Dal Maxvill to the dish. Javier's replacement in the lineup promptly lined a single to left field - scoring Brock - and putting the tying run - White, who was intentionally walked - in scoring position.
Mike Shannon then lined a single to center to score White - and when second baseman Hal Lanier inexplicably missed the throw from Mays - Maxvill came all the way around to score the go-ahead run - and Shannon advanced to third while the Giants were running around trying to stop that runaway ball.
A stunned Jim Duffalo was relieved of duty by this time - as the veteran lefty Billy Pierce finally stopped the bleeding by getting pinch hitter Jerry Bucheck on a fly ball to a bewildered Mays in center.
Out of the Cardinal bullpen to close out the game came their new secret weapon - knuckle ball specialist Barney Schultz - who retired Kuenn on a ground ball to the shortstop - then induced pinch hitter Duke Snider to ground out harmlessly to second. Schultz recorded his sixth save of the season by getting Willie Mays - who had a home run cut - to pop out to Groat at shortstop to end it.
The Cardinals had come back from the dead to win this game - but after dropping the final two games of this series, St Louis would slip to eleven games back of Philadelphia on August 23 - the low-water mark for the entire season. The most remarkable finish to any major league season was in store, although nobody could have possibly imagined what was about to transpire.
One thing Cardinal fans know for sure, fifty years later: It's a good thing they won this game.
Monday, August 11, 2014
August 11, 1987 - Cards Win See-Saw Battle in Pittsburgh
Tuesday, August 11, 1987 - At Three Rivers Stadium (John Tudor - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates (Rick Reuschel - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 14,637
In a see-saw battle with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cardinals broke a 4-4 tie - scoring two runs in the top of the ninth - and then held on for dear life to come away with a nail-biting 6-5 win. Ken Dayley - who pitched two perfect innings of relief - improved to 7-2, as Todd Worrell minimized the calamity in the bottom of the ninth to record his 24th save of the season.
John Tudor had a rough outing - allowing four runs in just five innings of work - but had been sidelined for most of the season after a freak dugout mishap in mid-April resulted in a smashed kneecap. He would eventually return to form as the season progressed, but would only make sixteen starts - about half of what he would normally log had he been able to avoid any trips to the DL.
For the Pirates, Rick Reuschel was hit hard, but manager Jim Leyland left him in for a full nine innings of work, almost as if his entire bullpen crew had been kidnapped. In nine innings, the soon-to-be-traded veteran (to San Francisco) coughed up six runs on twelve hits - but at least he got the complete game. To the casual observer, it seemed that Leyland either lost his senses, or fell into a coma - right in the middle of a very important game. But that's okay - the Cardinals won.
The Redbirds scored first, on Terry Pendleton's solo second-inning home run off the durable but ineffective Reuschel.
However, the Pirates quickly took the lead in the bottom of the second off a rusty Tudor - when Andy Van Slyke led-off with a single - then scored on Sid Bream's two-run shot deep to right.
St Louis tied the game in the fourth - on John Morris' two-out single - scoring Tommy Herr from third.
Pittsburgh untied it in the bottom of the fourth - on Johnny Ray's two-out solo blast.
After the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the fifth, the Pirates added another run in the bottom half - when Darnell Coles singled home Reuschel (who walked) from third.
Nursing a two-run lead, a tiring Reuschel went back to work in the sixth-inning - but couldn't hold the lead. Ozzie Smith started the rally with an infield single which third baseman Bobby Bonilla couldn't make a play on. Herr then doubled home Ozzie, as the Pirates bullpen was still missing in action. Meanwhile, Leyland began nodding off in the Pirates dugout, incredibly, with a lit cigarette dangling from his lower lip.
In the meantime, Willie McGee advanced Herr to third on a ground out to first baseman Bream - to Reuschel for the putout. Pendleton then tied the game once again - with a base hit to center.
Herzog - who rarely fell asleep in the dugout - brought in reliever Steve Peters to pitch the sixth-inning - and he survived it - two hits but no runs.
Meanwhile, Reuschel worked a scoreless seventh and eighth, while Ken Dayley - in relief of Peters - did the same.
The Cardinals broke through again in the ninth, when Tony Pena started a one-out rally with a single to left. Pinch hitting for Ken Dayley - Jose Oquendo - reached on another infield single which Bonilla could do nothing with. Vince Coleman also reached on an infield single to Bonilla - loading the bases. Concerned fans now were contacting local authorities as to the whereabouts of anyone matching the description of any relief pitcher currently under contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Ozzie then scored Pena from third on what is referred to as a "fielder's choice". The name and position of the "fielder" remains a mystery to this day; however, we do know that Smith was safe at first to re-load the bases for Herr - who scored Jose from third with a sacrifice fly to right field. That ended the scoring. As it turned out, those two extra runs were just enough to ensure victory.
Todd Worrell made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Consecutive singles by Cangelosi and Bonds put runners on first and second. The situation turned grave when the devious Al Pedrique laid down a perfect bunt which Worrell couldn't reach in time to get the speedy Pedrique.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Worrell decided it was time to wriggle out of this predicament. He retired R.J. Reynolds on a fly ball to right - although it scored Cangelosi from third. Bonilla - who had a tough day in the field and especially at the plate (0 for 5) - struck out on some high heat. Worrell then got the dangerous Van Slyke on a pop fly to Ozzie - to end this crazy game.
Reuschel took the hard-earned complete game loss (8-6) - but proved he could pitch nine innings - regardless of the circumstances. He would make just one more start as a member of the Pirates - a six-inning no decision effort - before being shipped off to bolster the Giants' stretch run to the postseason.
Big Daddy would make two starts against the Cardinals in the '87 NLCS - losing Game 1 and getting a no decision in Game 5 - a game eventually won by the Giants. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of this trade were the Cardinals. After all, had they lost Game 1, they would have lost the series to San Francisco in five games.
In a see-saw battle with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cardinals broke a 4-4 tie - scoring two runs in the top of the ninth - and then held on for dear life to come away with a nail-biting 6-5 win. Ken Dayley - who pitched two perfect innings of relief - improved to 7-2, as Todd Worrell minimized the calamity in the bottom of the ninth to record his 24th save of the season.
John Tudor had a rough outing - allowing four runs in just five innings of work - but had been sidelined for most of the season after a freak dugout mishap in mid-April resulted in a smashed kneecap. He would eventually return to form as the season progressed, but would only make sixteen starts - about half of what he would normally log had he been able to avoid any trips to the DL.
For the Pirates, Rick Reuschel was hit hard, but manager Jim Leyland left him in for a full nine innings of work, almost as if his entire bullpen crew had been kidnapped. In nine innings, the soon-to-be-traded veteran (to San Francisco) coughed up six runs on twelve hits - but at least he got the complete game. To the casual observer, it seemed that Leyland either lost his senses, or fell into a coma - right in the middle of a very important game. But that's okay - the Cardinals won.
The Redbirds scored first, on Terry Pendleton's solo second-inning home run off the durable but ineffective Reuschel.
However, the Pirates quickly took the lead in the bottom of the second off a rusty Tudor - when Andy Van Slyke led-off with a single - then scored on Sid Bream's two-run shot deep to right.
St Louis tied the game in the fourth - on John Morris' two-out single - scoring Tommy Herr from third.
Pittsburgh untied it in the bottom of the fourth - on Johnny Ray's two-out solo blast.
After the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the fifth, the Pirates added another run in the bottom half - when Darnell Coles singled home Reuschel (who walked) from third.
Nursing a two-run lead, a tiring Reuschel went back to work in the sixth-inning - but couldn't hold the lead. Ozzie Smith started the rally with an infield single which third baseman Bobby Bonilla couldn't make a play on. Herr then doubled home Ozzie, as the Pirates bullpen was still missing in action. Meanwhile, Leyland began nodding off in the Pirates dugout, incredibly, with a lit cigarette dangling from his lower lip.
In the meantime, Willie McGee advanced Herr to third on a ground out to first baseman Bream - to Reuschel for the putout. Pendleton then tied the game once again - with a base hit to center.
Herzog - who rarely fell asleep in the dugout - brought in reliever Steve Peters to pitch the sixth-inning - and he survived it - two hits but no runs.
Meanwhile, Reuschel worked a scoreless seventh and eighth, while Ken Dayley - in relief of Peters - did the same.
The Cardinals broke through again in the ninth, when Tony Pena started a one-out rally with a single to left. Pinch hitting for Ken Dayley - Jose Oquendo - reached on another infield single which Bonilla could do nothing with. Vince Coleman also reached on an infield single to Bonilla - loading the bases. Concerned fans now were contacting local authorities as to the whereabouts of anyone matching the description of any relief pitcher currently under contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Ozzie then scored Pena from third on what is referred to as a "fielder's choice". The name and position of the "fielder" remains a mystery to this day; however, we do know that Smith was safe at first to re-load the bases for Herr - who scored Jose from third with a sacrifice fly to right field. That ended the scoring. As it turned out, those two extra runs were just enough to ensure victory.
Todd Worrell made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Consecutive singles by Cangelosi and Bonds put runners on first and second. The situation turned grave when the devious Al Pedrique laid down a perfect bunt which Worrell couldn't reach in time to get the speedy Pedrique.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Worrell decided it was time to wriggle out of this predicament. He retired R.J. Reynolds on a fly ball to right - although it scored Cangelosi from third. Bonilla - who had a tough day in the field and especially at the plate (0 for 5) - struck out on some high heat. Worrell then got the dangerous Van Slyke on a pop fly to Ozzie - to end this crazy game.
Reuschel took the hard-earned complete game loss (8-6) - but proved he could pitch nine innings - regardless of the circumstances. He would make just one more start as a member of the Pirates - a six-inning no decision effort - before being shipped off to bolster the Giants' stretch run to the postseason.
Big Daddy would make two starts against the Cardinals in the '87 NLCS - losing Game 1 and getting a no decision in Game 5 - a game eventually won by the Giants. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of this trade were the Cardinals. After all, had they lost Game 1, they would have lost the series to San Francisco in five games.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
JUNE 18: 1966 - 1974 - 1976 - Brock's Birthday Celebrations
June 18 is Lou Brock's birthday - and for the first five seasons as a member of the St Louis Cardinals ('64 - '68), Lou's birthday brought good fortune to the Redbirds.
The Cardinals always managed to win on June 18 in that five-season span - despite the fact that the birthday boy himself hit a paltry .174 in those games (four hits in twenty-three at bats).
However, his one hit in '65 drove in a run, as the Cardinals beat the Braves by a score of 5-4.
He was just getting warmed up for next year.
Saturday, June 18, 1966 - At Busch Stadium II (Al Jackson - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Philadelphia Phillies (Bob Buhl - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 36,932
After the Phillies failed to score in the first-inning, Lou Brock led off the bottom of the first with an infield single - immediately stole second with Phil Gagliano batting - then scored on Gag Man's double. Curt Flood's single to left field moved Gagliano to third - who then scored when cleanup hitter Tito Francona grounded into a double play.
Dick Allen's fourth-inning solo home run gave the Phillies their first run of the game, cutting the Cardinal lead in half - 2-1.
The Phillies tied the game in the eighth-inning on a single, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, a walk and a throwing errror.
In the bottom of the eighth, with two out, Brock greeted former teammate Roger Craig - now pitching for Philadelphia - with a tie-breaking home run. It proved to be a game winner after Jackson (6-5) retired the side in the ninth, for the complete game win. In his two innings of work, the Brock home run was the only hit (and run) allowed by Craig (2-1).
Star of the Game Lou Brock had three hits in four trips to the plate, stole a base, scored two of the three runs the Redbirds put on the board tonight - and of course, hit the clutch home run to win it.
Afterwards, Brock dutifully answered Harry Caray's post game Busch Beer-enhanced Star of the Game interrogatories - good for a complimentary Lucian-Picard watch for the speedy 27-year-old birthday boy.
Lou would go 0 for 9 on June 18, 1967 and '68, collectively - but it didn't matter. The Cards had plenty of good pitching in a 4-1 win over the Giants and a 1-0 shutout of the Cubs.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. For the Cardinals, Lou Brock's 30th birthday brought about a reversal of fortune - losing to the lowly expansion-Montreal Expos, 5-1. That game may have been an omen for the team heavily favored to play in a third straight World Series in '69. Not this year. In fact, the Cardinals would fail to reach the postseason for the rest of Lou Brock's career -which ended after the '79 season.
After that June 18 loss in '69, St Louis would go on to lose six of the next nine Brock birthday engagements - but two of the three games they won over that span were greatly aided by an aging Lou Brock's stellar birthday performance.
Tuesday, June 18, 1974 - At Busch Stadium II (Alan Foster - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Francisco Giants (Ron Bryant - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 17,709
After a scoreless top half of the first-inning, Lou Brock opened the bottom half with a single, stole second while Ted Sizemore was busy striking out, stayed there after Ted Simmons flew out to center - then scored on Joe Torre's base hit to left field.
That was all the run support Foster (2-5) would need tonight, in blanking the Giants on five hits in nine innings - although they added an insurance run in the fourth - on a Mike Tyson RBI single.
Then, when Brock led off the seventh with his second single of the game, Elias Sosa came in to relieve Bryant. The 35-year old stolen base maestro then swiped his second bag of the game - later scoring from third on Sosa's bobble of a Jose Cruz grounder. Apparently, Sosa was distracted by Brock at third base, took his eye off the ball which clanked off his glove - and the Cardinals had their third and final run of the game.
For Bryant (2-8) - what a difference a year makes - a 24 game-winner in '73, he would win just three games in '74 - while losing 15. Somehow, the Cardinals thought he'd be a good addition to the team in '75 - so on May 9, 1979, they traded away outfielder Larry Herndon - who would go on to have a successful 14-year career - first with the Giants, then with the Detroit Tigers - as part of the '84 World Championship team - to acquire the over-the-hill Bryant - who was subsequently released on July 31, 1975 after a total of 10 innings pitched, an 0-1 record and an ERA of 16.00.
Friday, June 18, 1976 - At Busch Stadium II (Pete Falcone - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Diego Padres (Randy Jones - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 14,501
The Cardinals overcame a 3-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the fourth-inning - and Lou Brock was right in the middle of everything - stirring things up with his bat and his speed - as usual.
After Don Kessinger singled to open the fourth for St Louis, Brock followed that up with a single to center - sending Kessinger to third. With Ted Simmons batting, Brock put himself in scoring position as well, by stealing second. With first base open, Jones decided to pitch to Simmons, who promptly lined a single to center, scoring both runners. Two outs later, Hector Cruz lined one off the left field wall, which managed to elude both the left fielder and center fielder long enough for Cruz to cruise all the way around for a rare inside the park home run.
After Falcone prevented any San Diego scoring in the fifth-inning, St Louis had a little lightning in a bottle in the bottom half of the fifth. With two out, Kessinger lined another single to center, bringing Brock to the plate. Lou then took the future 1976 NL Cy Young Award winner deep - not quite deep enough to go over the wall - but deep enough to hit high off the top of the wall - then elude both the right fielder and center fielder long enough for Brock to streak all the way around for another rare inside the park home run - the second in as many innings for the Cardinals.
Each team added single tallies in the sixth-inning to close out the scoring: St Louis 7 - San Diego 4.
Falcone (5-5) went the distance, handing Jones (12-3) a rare loss. Jones would be mediocre the rest of the season (10-11) - however, he still led the NL in wins, which was good enough to win his first and only Cy Young Award - although eight other NL pitchers were more deserving. Happens all the time.
Meanwhile, this would prove to be the last time Lou Brock would experience the thrill of victory on his birthday. The Cardinals as a whole, had little to be thrilled about in '76 - except maybe this one game, featuring not one - but two inside the park home runs in successive innings. Yes indeed. Happy birthday, Mr Brock.
The Cardinals always managed to win on June 18 in that five-season span - despite the fact that the birthday boy himself hit a paltry .174 in those games (four hits in twenty-three at bats).
However, his one hit in '65 drove in a run, as the Cardinals beat the Braves by a score of 5-4.
He was just getting warmed up for next year.
Saturday, June 18, 1966 - At Busch Stadium II (Al Jackson - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Philadelphia Phillies (Bob Buhl - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 36,932
After the Phillies failed to score in the first-inning, Lou Brock led off the bottom of the first with an infield single - immediately stole second with Phil Gagliano batting - then scored on Gag Man's double. Curt Flood's single to left field moved Gagliano to third - who then scored when cleanup hitter Tito Francona grounded into a double play.
Dick Allen's fourth-inning solo home run gave the Phillies their first run of the game, cutting the Cardinal lead in half - 2-1.
The Phillies tied the game in the eighth-inning on a single, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, a walk and a throwing errror.
In the bottom of the eighth, with two out, Brock greeted former teammate Roger Craig - now pitching for Philadelphia - with a tie-breaking home run. It proved to be a game winner after Jackson (6-5) retired the side in the ninth, for the complete game win. In his two innings of work, the Brock home run was the only hit (and run) allowed by Craig (2-1).
Star of the Game Lou Brock had three hits in four trips to the plate, stole a base, scored two of the three runs the Redbirds put on the board tonight - and of course, hit the clutch home run to win it.
Afterwards, Brock dutifully answered Harry Caray's post game Busch Beer-enhanced Star of the Game interrogatories - good for a complimentary Lucian-Picard watch for the speedy 27-year-old birthday boy.
Lou would go 0 for 9 on June 18, 1967 and '68, collectively - but it didn't matter. The Cards had plenty of good pitching in a 4-1 win over the Giants and a 1-0 shutout of the Cubs.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. For the Cardinals, Lou Brock's 30th birthday brought about a reversal of fortune - losing to the lowly expansion-Montreal Expos, 5-1. That game may have been an omen for the team heavily favored to play in a third straight World Series in '69. Not this year. In fact, the Cardinals would fail to reach the postseason for the rest of Lou Brock's career -which ended after the '79 season.
After that June 18 loss in '69, St Louis would go on to lose six of the next nine Brock birthday engagements - but two of the three games they won over that span were greatly aided by an aging Lou Brock's stellar birthday performance.
Tuesday, June 18, 1974 - At Busch Stadium II (Alan Foster - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Francisco Giants (Ron Bryant - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 17,709
After a scoreless top half of the first-inning, Lou Brock opened the bottom half with a single, stole second while Ted Sizemore was busy striking out, stayed there after Ted Simmons flew out to center - then scored on Joe Torre's base hit to left field.
That was all the run support Foster (2-5) would need tonight, in blanking the Giants on five hits in nine innings - although they added an insurance run in the fourth - on a Mike Tyson RBI single.
Then, when Brock led off the seventh with his second single of the game, Elias Sosa came in to relieve Bryant. The 35-year old stolen base maestro then swiped his second bag of the game - later scoring from third on Sosa's bobble of a Jose Cruz grounder. Apparently, Sosa was distracted by Brock at third base, took his eye off the ball which clanked off his glove - and the Cardinals had their third and final run of the game.
For Bryant (2-8) - what a difference a year makes - a 24 game-winner in '73, he would win just three games in '74 - while losing 15. Somehow, the Cardinals thought he'd be a good addition to the team in '75 - so on May 9, 1979, they traded away outfielder Larry Herndon - who would go on to have a successful 14-year career - first with the Giants, then with the Detroit Tigers - as part of the '84 World Championship team - to acquire the over-the-hill Bryant - who was subsequently released on July 31, 1975 after a total of 10 innings pitched, an 0-1 record and an ERA of 16.00.
Friday, June 18, 1976 - At Busch Stadium II (Pete Falcone - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Diego Padres (Randy Jones - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 14,501
The Cardinals overcame a 3-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the fourth-inning - and Lou Brock was right in the middle of everything - stirring things up with his bat and his speed - as usual.
After Don Kessinger singled to open the fourth for St Louis, Brock followed that up with a single to center - sending Kessinger to third. With Ted Simmons batting, Brock put himself in scoring position as well, by stealing second. With first base open, Jones decided to pitch to Simmons, who promptly lined a single to center, scoring both runners. Two outs later, Hector Cruz lined one off the left field wall, which managed to elude both the left fielder and center fielder long enough for Cruz to cruise all the way around for a rare inside the park home run.
After Falcone prevented any San Diego scoring in the fifth-inning, St Louis had a little lightning in a bottle in the bottom half of the fifth. With two out, Kessinger lined another single to center, bringing Brock to the plate. Lou then took the future 1976 NL Cy Young Award winner deep - not quite deep enough to go over the wall - but deep enough to hit high off the top of the wall - then elude both the right fielder and center fielder long enough for Brock to streak all the way around for another rare inside the park home run - the second in as many innings for the Cardinals.
Each team added single tallies in the sixth-inning to close out the scoring: St Louis 7 - San Diego 4.
Falcone (5-5) went the distance, handing Jones (12-3) a rare loss. Jones would be mediocre the rest of the season (10-11) - however, he still led the NL in wins, which was good enough to win his first and only Cy Young Award - although eight other NL pitchers were more deserving. Happens all the time.
Meanwhile, this would prove to be the last time Lou Brock would experience the thrill of victory on his birthday. The Cardinals as a whole, had little to be thrilled about in '76 - except maybe this one game, featuring not one - but two inside the park home runs in successive innings. Yes indeed. Happy birthday, Mr Brock.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
It's Walk-Off Wednesday! This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - JUNE 4
Four out of five of the games featured for June 4 were walk-off winners for the Cardinals. The other was a 10-inning shutout winner on the road. We'll start with that one.
1980 - At Shea Stadium: 41-year old Cards southpaw Jim Kaat (1-4) scatters seven hits in a 10-inning complete-game shutout - beating the New York Mets by a score of 1-0 (It's not a walk-off win, but it's still special).
Mets starter Pat Zachary allowed just two hits in seven innings of shutout pitching. Neil Allen worked the final three innings, allowing just one hit - but it was a big one - a Ken Reitz tenth-inning home run - to give Kaat all the run support he'd need today.
For Kaat, this is his first shutout since 1978, and it would prove to be the last one of his long and illustrious career.
With this win, St Louis (18-29) is still residing in the NL East cellar, but (slightly) better days lay ahead for the Redbirds.
1980 - At Shea Stadium: 41-year old Cards southpaw Jim Kaat (1-4) scatters seven hits in a 10-inning complete-game shutout - beating the New York Mets by a score of 1-0 (It's not a walk-off win, but it's still special).
Mets starter Pat Zachary allowed just two hits in seven innings of shutout pitching. Neil Allen worked the final three innings, allowing just one hit - but it was a big one - a Ken Reitz tenth-inning home run - to give Kaat all the run support he'd need today.
For Kaat, this is his first shutout since 1978, and it would prove to be the last one of his long and illustrious career.
With this win, St Louis (18-29) is still residing in the NL East cellar, but (slightly) better days lay ahead for the Redbirds.
1984 - At Busch Stadium II: Ken Oberkfell's one-out single in the bottom of the eleventh-inning scores Andy Van Slyke from second base to give the Cardinals a 4-3 walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bruce Sutter (2-3) worked three scoreless innings to get the win. Al Holland (4-3) was tagged with the loss.
John Stuper started the game for St Louis, and was charged for two runs in six innings - after giving up a lead-off single in the seventh, Neil Allen relieved him - then managed to turn a 3-1 Cardinal lead into a 3-3 tie with 0.2 of an ineffective inning pitched. Allen allowed the inherited runner (Stuper's) - plus one his his own - to score, by coughing up two hits in this stint - thus making this dramatic walk-off win a reality.
The other reality: Stuper had to settle for a no-decision.
Meanwhile, George Hendrick's two-run third-inning single off Phillies starter Steve Carlton staked the Cardinals to an early 2-0 lead, while Tommy Herr drove in another run in the fifth-inning.
Carlton left after six innings, allowing those three runs, but he was taken off the hook for the loss when the Phillies rallied to tie it in the seventh.
Bruce Sutter (2-3) worked three scoreless innings to get the win. Al Holland (4-3) was tagged with the loss.
John Stuper started the game for St Louis, and was charged for two runs in six innings - after giving up a lead-off single in the seventh, Neil Allen relieved him - then managed to turn a 3-1 Cardinal lead into a 3-3 tie with 0.2 of an ineffective inning pitched. Allen allowed the inherited runner (Stuper's) - plus one his his own - to score, by coughing up two hits in this stint - thus making this dramatic walk-off win a reality.
The other reality: Stuper had to settle for a no-decision.
Meanwhile, George Hendrick's two-run third-inning single off Phillies starter Steve Carlton staked the Cardinals to an early 2-0 lead, while Tommy Herr drove in another run in the fifth-inning.
Carlton left after six innings, allowing those three runs, but he was taken off the hook for the loss when the Phillies rallied to tie it in the seventh.
1990 - At Busch Stadium II: It's deja vu all over again, as the Cardinals beat the Phillies in eleven innings. The final score: St Louis 3 - Philadelphia 2.
The Cardinals scored two first-inning runs off Phillies starter Terry Mulholland, on a Pedro Guerrero two-run double (scoring Smith and McGee). That was all the scoring for St Louis off Mulholland in his six innings of work. In fact, that was all the scoring for St Louis off three relievers through the next four innings.
The Phillies scored an unearned run off Cardinals starter John Tudor in the third-inning after left fielder Vince Coleman misplayed a ball that should have retired the side with no runs scored. Tudor worked 6.2 innings, and allowed just that one unearned run. He was relieved by Ken Dayley who also gave up a run in just 0.2 innings, but it could have been worse.
In that crucial eighth-inning, after Philadelphia had already scored one run to tie the game, 2-2, they still had the bases loaded with no outs. But Lee Smith retired the next three hitters - Thon, Daulton, and Ready - on three consecutive foul pop ups - the first on the first base side, the second on the third base side, and the third right behind the catcher. Quite a trick! It also took the wind out of the Phillies' sails, for sure.
After Smith worked his eighth-inning magic, Ricky Horton pitched the next two scoreless innings - then Frank DiPino (2-0) became the pitcher of record after working a scoreless eleventh-inning.
That set the stage for the the game winning rally off Phillies reliever Marvin Freeman (0-1). With the bases loaded (Vince Coleman on third) and one out, Terry Pendleton dropped one safely into right field to finally win it for St Louis - who somehow managed to finish last in the NL East this season, despite this thrilling walk-off win.
The Cardinals scored two first-inning runs off Phillies starter Terry Mulholland, on a Pedro Guerrero two-run double (scoring Smith and McGee). That was all the scoring for St Louis off Mulholland in his six innings of work. In fact, that was all the scoring for St Louis off three relievers through the next four innings.
The Phillies scored an unearned run off Cardinals starter John Tudor in the third-inning after left fielder Vince Coleman misplayed a ball that should have retired the side with no runs scored. Tudor worked 6.2 innings, and allowed just that one unearned run. He was relieved by Ken Dayley who also gave up a run in just 0.2 innings, but it could have been worse.
In that crucial eighth-inning, after Philadelphia had already scored one run to tie the game, 2-2, they still had the bases loaded with no outs. But Lee Smith retired the next three hitters - Thon, Daulton, and Ready - on three consecutive foul pop ups - the first on the first base side, the second on the third base side, and the third right behind the catcher. Quite a trick! It also took the wind out of the Phillies' sails, for sure.
After Smith worked his eighth-inning magic, Ricky Horton pitched the next two scoreless innings - then Frank DiPino (2-0) became the pitcher of record after working a scoreless eleventh-inning.
That set the stage for the the game winning rally off Phillies reliever Marvin Freeman (0-1). With the bases loaded (Vince Coleman on third) and one out, Terry Pendleton dropped one safely into right field to finally win it for St Louis - who somehow managed to finish last in the NL East this season, despite this thrilling walk-off win.
1994 - At Busch Stadium II: Ray Lankford's lead-off home run in the bottom of the ninth snapped a 1-1 tie, to give the Cardinals a walk-off win over the San Francisco Giants.
Both starting pitchers - John Burkett (7 IP) for the Giants and Vincente Palacios (8 IP) for the Cardinals - allowed just one run apiece. San Francisco scored their run in the very first-inning, on a Matt Williams RBI double. St Louis tied the game in the second-inning when Ray Lankford singled Todd Zeile in from second base.
Rene Arocha (3-3) pitched a perfect ninth-inning in relief of Palacios. Michael Jackson (3-2) made it through the eighth-inning unscathed, but the ninth was a different story: One batter, one game-winning home run. Just beat it. This somehow reminds me of a joke that I heard in the early '80's: What do Michael Jackson and the San Francisco Giants have in common? They both wear gloves on their left hands for no apparent reason. Bada bing.
Both starting pitchers - John Burkett (7 IP) for the Giants and Vincente Palacios (8 IP) for the Cardinals - allowed just one run apiece. San Francisco scored their run in the very first-inning, on a Matt Williams RBI double. St Louis tied the game in the second-inning when Ray Lankford singled Todd Zeile in from second base.
Rene Arocha (3-3) pitched a perfect ninth-inning in relief of Palacios. Michael Jackson (3-2) made it through the eighth-inning unscathed, but the ninth was a different story: One batter, one game-winning home run. Just beat it. This somehow reminds me of a joke that I heard in the early '80's: What do Michael Jackson and the San Francisco Giants have in common? They both wear gloves on their left hands for no apparent reason. Bada bing.
2011 - At Busch Stadium III: It was the Albert Pujols Show on this nationally televised game between the Cardinals and Cubs. The game ended with Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija (3-2) mysteriously serving up a nice fat pitch to Pujols with two-out and nobody on base in the 12th-inning, which was hit deep to left field for the game winning walk-off home run. Final score: St Louis 5 - Chicago 4
Before that dramatic ending, Pujols was still in the thick of anything the Cardinals did, offensively. In the fourth-inning, with Ryan Theriot on base, Albert launched his first home run of the game off Cubs starter Randy Wells, staking the Cardinals to a 2-0 lead.
Kyle Lohse started the game for the Redbirds, and pitched well until the Cubs mauled him for four runs in the sixth-inning. Carlos Pena's two-run home run started the scoring; Campana and Fukudome each added an RBI for the Cubs, who now led 4-2. Lohse didn't make it through the inning. With two out, Motte replaced him, escaping further damage. Lohse had been pounded for eleven hits, but only four runs. The next five Cardinal relievers - Motte, Miller, Batista, Salas, and Sanchez - would allow just one more hit over the final 6.1 innings of this marathon.
Chicago's two-run lead was short-lived. With two out and Theriot on first, it was Pujols again coming through with a big hit - this time, an RBI double. With that blow, Wells was removed from the game. Strangely enough, like Lohse, Wells also pitched precisely 5.2 innings, but only allowed three hits. The result was still the same, however - 4 runs for the opposition. That fourth run scored when the new pitcher - Sean Marshall - was greeted by Lance Berkman's RBI single to tie the game, 4-4.
The last Cardinal pitcher used in this game - Eduardo Sanchez (2-1) - worked two perfect innings, striking out two batters.
The Cubs would use four more pitchers as the game progressed until the fateful twelfth-inning. Samardzija retired the first two batters in the frame, giving him a golden opportunity to pitch around Pujols. He chose to go after him - he paid the price. And the Cardinals got a win they had to have to reach the postseason.
Before that dramatic ending, Pujols was still in the thick of anything the Cardinals did, offensively. In the fourth-inning, with Ryan Theriot on base, Albert launched his first home run of the game off Cubs starter Randy Wells, staking the Cardinals to a 2-0 lead.
Kyle Lohse started the game for the Redbirds, and pitched well until the Cubs mauled him for four runs in the sixth-inning. Carlos Pena's two-run home run started the scoring; Campana and Fukudome each added an RBI for the Cubs, who now led 4-2. Lohse didn't make it through the inning. With two out, Motte replaced him, escaping further damage. Lohse had been pounded for eleven hits, but only four runs. The next five Cardinal relievers - Motte, Miller, Batista, Salas, and Sanchez - would allow just one more hit over the final 6.1 innings of this marathon.
Chicago's two-run lead was short-lived. With two out and Theriot on first, it was Pujols again coming through with a big hit - this time, an RBI double. With that blow, Wells was removed from the game. Strangely enough, like Lohse, Wells also pitched precisely 5.2 innings, but only allowed three hits. The result was still the same, however - 4 runs for the opposition. That fourth run scored when the new pitcher - Sean Marshall - was greeted by Lance Berkman's RBI single to tie the game, 4-4.
The last Cardinal pitcher used in this game - Eduardo Sanchez (2-1) - worked two perfect innings, striking out two batters.
The Cubs would use four more pitchers as the game progressed until the fateful twelfth-inning. Samardzija retired the first two batters in the frame, giving him a golden opportunity to pitch around Pujols. He chose to go after him - he paid the price. And the Cardinals got a win they had to have to reach the postseason.
Monday, June 2, 2014
This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - JUNE 2
1967 - At Busch Stadium II: Lou Brock's 2-Run 5th-inning home run paces the Cardinals to a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. Steve Carlton's (4-1) complete game 3-hitter is marred only by a Ted Savage 8th-inning solo home run. Second-place St Louis (26-16) is only 2 games behind Cincinnati, and closing fast.
1968 - At Shea Stadium: The Cardinals sweep a doubleheader over the New York Mets to take sole possession of first place in the National League (27-21) - one-half game ahead of the second-place San Francisco Giants. Bob Gibson (4-5) wins the first game, 6-3, but is so irritated with his performance he refuses to allow another run over his next four starts in the month of June. Dick Hughes (1-2) wins the nightcap, 3-2, but arm trouble would soon end the career of of last season's Rookie of the Year runner-up. He'd only win one more game before calling it quits.
1982 - At Busch Stadium II: Joaquin Andujar (5-4) throws a six-hit complete game shutout over the San Francisco Giants, as the Cardinals prevail, by a score of 1-0. Andujar got the only run support necessary in the third-inning, when Ozzie Smith walked, stole second, advanced to third on a ground-out, then scored on a Keith Hernandez two-out single. The National League East division-leading Cardinals (32-19) now hold a 4.5 game lead over three division rivals.
1996 - At Busch Stadium II: Todd Stottlemyre (5-3) pitches the Cardinals (26-29) into a virtual first-place tie with their NL Central rivals - the Houston Astros (27-30), with a complete game 2-0 shutout of Houston. A second-inning RBI single by John Mabry was enough on this day, but the Redbirds added an insurance run in the eighth when Luis Alicea was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. St Louis would finish the season with a NL-best 62-45 record, to win their first ever NL Central title.
2000 - At Busch Stadium II: Darryl Kile (8-3) pitches the first-place Cardinals (31-23) to a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. Kile allowed just three hits in his eight innings of work. He also walked three and struck out nine. The only run allowed came via a Jim Thome fourth-inning home run. Ray Lankford provided all the run support needed today with a two-run fifth-inning triple, scoring Edmonds and McGwire.
2001 - At Busch Stadium II: Matt Morris (8-3) struggles through 5.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing five runs (four earned runs) on six hits, but it's good enough to win, 8-5, as the St Louis lineup scores early and often - and the bullpen does the rest - keeping the Reds scoreless over the final 3.2 innings. Gene Stechschulte picks up the save, after Christiansen, Timlin, and Kline slammed the door shut on any further Cincinnati scoring. Ray Lankford's two-out two-run first-inning home run was part of a four RBI game for the long-time Redbird star, while Eli Marrero and JD Drew both hit solo home runs in the second-inning to spark the offense. The second-place Cardinals are now 3.5 games behind the Cubbies - but this would become a two-team race between St Louis and Houston, who finished with identical 93-69 records. However, the Astros fared better in head-to-head competition with the Cardinals - so they would be declared division champs while St Louis would settle for the wild card.
2004 - At PNC Park: Chris Carpenter (6-1) allows three runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings, as the Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3. Carpenter didn't walk a single batter and struck out nine. Pirates killer Albert Pujols' first-inning two-run home run gave the Redbirds the early advantage, while John Mabry added two RBI of his own, to provide the margin of victory. At this point in the season, the Cardinals (29-23) were still in second-place - 2.5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds. But not for long, as St Louis would go on to finish the season with a major league-best 76-34 record, en route to a 105-win season.
2009 - At Busch Stadium II: Albert Pujols and Nick Stavinoha drove in two runs apiece in a 5-2 Cardinal win over the Cincinnati Reds. Starting pitcher Brad Thompson worked the first five innings for St Louis, allowing two runs on five hits. The Cardinal bullpen - Miller, Motte, Reyes, McClellan, and Franklin - not only kept the Reds from scoring, they kept them hitless (with two walks) over the final four innings. Franklin recorded the only strikeout by Redbird pitching in this game, as he got the one-inning save (13). Jason Motte (2-1) worked 1.2 innings at the most opportune time to get the win. Strangely enough, the free-swinging Cardinal hitters struck out nine times, but when they made contact, they usually hit the ball hard. At this point in the season, St Louis and Milwaukee were deadlocked in a first-place tie in the NL Central (30-22), but the Cardinals would pull away from everybody in the division with a 61-49 record to close out the season.
1968 - At Shea Stadium: The Cardinals sweep a doubleheader over the New York Mets to take sole possession of first place in the National League (27-21) - one-half game ahead of the second-place San Francisco Giants. Bob Gibson (4-5) wins the first game, 6-3, but is so irritated with his performance he refuses to allow another run over his next four starts in the month of June. Dick Hughes (1-2) wins the nightcap, 3-2, but arm trouble would soon end the career of of last season's Rookie of the Year runner-up. He'd only win one more game before calling it quits.
1982 - At Busch Stadium II: Joaquin Andujar (5-4) throws a six-hit complete game shutout over the San Francisco Giants, as the Cardinals prevail, by a score of 1-0. Andujar got the only run support necessary in the third-inning, when Ozzie Smith walked, stole second, advanced to third on a ground-out, then scored on a Keith Hernandez two-out single. The National League East division-leading Cardinals (32-19) now hold a 4.5 game lead over three division rivals.
1996 - At Busch Stadium II: Todd Stottlemyre (5-3) pitches the Cardinals (26-29) into a virtual first-place tie with their NL Central rivals - the Houston Astros (27-30), with a complete game 2-0 shutout of Houston. A second-inning RBI single by John Mabry was enough on this day, but the Redbirds added an insurance run in the eighth when Luis Alicea was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. St Louis would finish the season with a NL-best 62-45 record, to win their first ever NL Central title.
2000 - At Busch Stadium II: Darryl Kile (8-3) pitches the first-place Cardinals (31-23) to a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. Kile allowed just three hits in his eight innings of work. He also walked three and struck out nine. The only run allowed came via a Jim Thome fourth-inning home run. Ray Lankford provided all the run support needed today with a two-run fifth-inning triple, scoring Edmonds and McGwire.
2001 - At Busch Stadium II: Matt Morris (8-3) struggles through 5.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing five runs (four earned runs) on six hits, but it's good enough to win, 8-5, as the St Louis lineup scores early and often - and the bullpen does the rest - keeping the Reds scoreless over the final 3.2 innings. Gene Stechschulte picks up the save, after Christiansen, Timlin, and Kline slammed the door shut on any further Cincinnati scoring. Ray Lankford's two-out two-run first-inning home run was part of a four RBI game for the long-time Redbird star, while Eli Marrero and JD Drew both hit solo home runs in the second-inning to spark the offense. The second-place Cardinals are now 3.5 games behind the Cubbies - but this would become a two-team race between St Louis and Houston, who finished with identical 93-69 records. However, the Astros fared better in head-to-head competition with the Cardinals - so they would be declared division champs while St Louis would settle for the wild card.
2004 - At PNC Park: Chris Carpenter (6-1) allows three runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings, as the Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3. Carpenter didn't walk a single batter and struck out nine. Pirates killer Albert Pujols' first-inning two-run home run gave the Redbirds the early advantage, while John Mabry added two RBI of his own, to provide the margin of victory. At this point in the season, the Cardinals (29-23) were still in second-place - 2.5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds. But not for long, as St Louis would go on to finish the season with a major league-best 76-34 record, en route to a 105-win season.
2009 - At Busch Stadium II: Albert Pujols and Nick Stavinoha drove in two runs apiece in a 5-2 Cardinal win over the Cincinnati Reds. Starting pitcher Brad Thompson worked the first five innings for St Louis, allowing two runs on five hits. The Cardinal bullpen - Miller, Motte, Reyes, McClellan, and Franklin - not only kept the Reds from scoring, they kept them hitless (with two walks) over the final four innings. Franklin recorded the only strikeout by Redbird pitching in this game, as he got the one-inning save (13). Jason Motte (2-1) worked 1.2 innings at the most opportune time to get the win. Strangely enough, the free-swinging Cardinal hitters struck out nine times, but when they made contact, they usually hit the ball hard. At this point in the season, St Louis and Milwaukee were deadlocked in a first-place tie in the NL Central (30-22), but the Cardinals would pull away from everybody in the division with a 61-49 record to close out the season.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
St Louis Cardinals History - May 12, 1987 - May 13, 1982 - 2 Games That Almost Got Away
May 12, 1987 - In a game featuring the two teams that would be slugging it out in the '87 NLCS, the San Francisco Giants played host to the St Louis Cardinals on a cold and windy evening at beautiful Candlestick Park; a venue that has had its fair share of weird moments. Probably half of the original crowd of 14,318 had bailed out of this one before the ninth-inning rolled around. Too bad; they missed all the fun. Luckily for the Redbirds, they managed to hold on by the slimmest of margins; no doubt giving manager Whitey Herzog a few more white hairs as a souvenir.
Rookie southpaw Joe Magrane got the start for St Louis, and quickly ran into some trouble in the very first inning - a walk, a balk, and a single gave the Giants a very brief 1-0 lead.
In the second-inning, Willie McGee drew a lead-off walk off Giants starter, Mark Davis. One out later, Steve Lake's double to right field moved McGee over to third; then both runners came home on Curt Ford's single off first baseman Will Clark's glove, which trickled into no man's land in short right field.
Meanwhile, Magrane settled down, keeping San Francisco scoreless over the next seven innings of work. The Cardinals added two more runs in the third-inning, on a Willie McGee two-out two-run home run, giving the flaky Magrane a comfortable three run lead. When the Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the ninth-inning on back-to-back one-out triples from Rod Booker (the only triple he'd hit all season) and Curt Ford, followed by a successful squeeze-play bunt by Magrane which plated Ford - the game seemed out of reach. St Louis 6, San Francisco 1.
With a five-run lead and Joe pitching so well, Whitey thought this would be a good opportunity to give the bullpen a break, and give his young lefty a chance to finish this one off. Not so fast. After a Bob Melvin double and a Chris Speier infield hit suddenly had runners on the corners with nobody out, Herzog brought in the usually reliable Ricky Horton to take care of business. Not so fast. The first hitter Horton faced - Will Clark - immediately brought in a run with a base hit to right. Now it's 6-2, with the tying run in the on-deck circle. After Horton induced Matt Williams to fly out to McGee in center, that sigh of relief in the Cardinals dugout would soon turn into a gasp of astonishment.
Pinch hitter Bob Brenly whacked a Horton hanging slider over the left field fence for a three-run bomb, cutting the deficit to a single run. Time to bring in Todd Worrell to close this one out; and close it out he did, striking out pinch hitter Harry Spilman on a high fastball, then getting the dangerous Chili Davis looking at a fastball on the outside corner for strike three, to finally restore order and put this one in the "win" column - Cards 6 - Giants 5.
Looking back on the top half of the ninth-inning, had Magrane failed to get that squeeze bunt down successfully, there's no telling how this game would've ended; or when it would've ended, for that matter.
May 13, 1982 - In a game featuring the two teams that would be playing in the '82 NLCS, the Atlanta Braves played host to the St Louis Cardinals on a warm and humid evening at Fulton County Stadium, with 16,244 on hand to witness a high-scoring affair, featuring yet another near-comeback by the home team in the ninth-inning. What a coincidence.
This also happened to be Atlanta Braves' rookie Ken Dayley's major league debut. Dayley would later be a mainstay in the Cardinals' bullpen in the mid '80's, but on this night he was a starter; although he only lasted 1.1 innings (5 H - 4 R - 1 BB - 0 SO - 1 HR); leaving the game with an ERA of 27.00. He'd also be tagged with the loss, although his teammates nearly got him off the hook. However, this was a game the Cardinals led from the first inning on, eventually scoring 10 runs; and they needed every one of those runs to win this one.
Starting for St Louis was old reliable Bob Forsch who didn't fare much better than the rookie (3.2 IP - 7 H - 5 R - 0 BB - 1 SO - 1 HR). In fact, Preston Hanna, the Braves' second pitcher of the game didn't fare so well on the mound, either (3 IP - 6 H - 5 R - 2 BB - 1 SO), although did quite all right with a bat in his hands - two hits in two ABs with an RBI.
"Hitting" was definitely the theme for tonight's game. After the Cardinals scored two runs in each of the first three innings, Atlanta countered with a two-run second, then scored a single run in the third, and two more in the fourth to close the gap to a 6-5 deficit; but they just couldn't quite catch the Redbirds, who tacked on three more runs in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Herzog mysteriously brought in rookie Willie McGee to pinch hit for Tito Landrum - who had already homered in the game and had driven in three. On the mound for the Braves was former Cardinal madman Al Hrabosky. McGee, who had gotten off to a terrible start, promptly lined a run-scoring single to center - the first RBI in his career! Ozzie immediately got another hit, driving in two more runs. St Louis 9 - Atlanta 5.
After the Braves started roughing up Redbird reliever Andy Rincon in the seventh-inning, Herzog brought in Bruce Sutter to restore order. He got out of the jam with just one run scored (St Louis 9 - Atlanta 6), but he still had to get through the precarious eighth and ninth-innings. When the Redbirds scored their tenth and final run in the ninth, Sutter, who had no trouble in handling the Braves in the eighth, now had a four-run cushion as he took the mound in the bottom of the ninth. He needed all of that cushion.
Claudell Washington took Sutter deep to lead off the inning, making it a 10-7 game. Then, with one on and one out, Dale Murphy hit his second home run of the game, while Herzog pretended to remain calm in the Cardinals' dugout. Sutter, who had been stretched as far as he could realistically go (2.2 IP), hung on to record his eleventh save of the season. It was pretty, but it worked.
As for the shy rookie, Willie McGee, who finally got the first run batted in of his career; all the weight of the world seemed to be lifted off his slouched shoulders. His batting average, which had been hovering around .150 at this point in the season, would start climbing - all the way to .296 by season's end. But it would be the postseason that would make him an instant celebrity, and endear him to Cardinal Nation for life.
Rookie southpaw Joe Magrane got the start for St Louis, and quickly ran into some trouble in the very first inning - a walk, a balk, and a single gave the Giants a very brief 1-0 lead.
In the second-inning, Willie McGee drew a lead-off walk off Giants starter, Mark Davis. One out later, Steve Lake's double to right field moved McGee over to third; then both runners came home on Curt Ford's single off first baseman Will Clark's glove, which trickled into no man's land in short right field.
Meanwhile, Magrane settled down, keeping San Francisco scoreless over the next seven innings of work. The Cardinals added two more runs in the third-inning, on a Willie McGee two-out two-run home run, giving the flaky Magrane a comfortable three run lead. When the Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the ninth-inning on back-to-back one-out triples from Rod Booker (the only triple he'd hit all season) and Curt Ford, followed by a successful squeeze-play bunt by Magrane which plated Ford - the game seemed out of reach. St Louis 6, San Francisco 1.
With a five-run lead and Joe pitching so well, Whitey thought this would be a good opportunity to give the bullpen a break, and give his young lefty a chance to finish this one off. Not so fast. After a Bob Melvin double and a Chris Speier infield hit suddenly had runners on the corners with nobody out, Herzog brought in the usually reliable Ricky Horton to take care of business. Not so fast. The first hitter Horton faced - Will Clark - immediately brought in a run with a base hit to right. Now it's 6-2, with the tying run in the on-deck circle. After Horton induced Matt Williams to fly out to McGee in center, that sigh of relief in the Cardinals dugout would soon turn into a gasp of astonishment.
Pinch hitter Bob Brenly whacked a Horton hanging slider over the left field fence for a three-run bomb, cutting the deficit to a single run. Time to bring in Todd Worrell to close this one out; and close it out he did, striking out pinch hitter Harry Spilman on a high fastball, then getting the dangerous Chili Davis looking at a fastball on the outside corner for strike three, to finally restore order and put this one in the "win" column - Cards 6 - Giants 5.
Looking back on the top half of the ninth-inning, had Magrane failed to get that squeeze bunt down successfully, there's no telling how this game would've ended; or when it would've ended, for that matter.
May 13, 1982 - In a game featuring the two teams that would be playing in the '82 NLCS, the Atlanta Braves played host to the St Louis Cardinals on a warm and humid evening at Fulton County Stadium, with 16,244 on hand to witness a high-scoring affair, featuring yet another near-comeback by the home team in the ninth-inning. What a coincidence.
This also happened to be Atlanta Braves' rookie Ken Dayley's major league debut. Dayley would later be a mainstay in the Cardinals' bullpen in the mid '80's, but on this night he was a starter; although he only lasted 1.1 innings (5 H - 4 R - 1 BB - 0 SO - 1 HR); leaving the game with an ERA of 27.00. He'd also be tagged with the loss, although his teammates nearly got him off the hook. However, this was a game the Cardinals led from the first inning on, eventually scoring 10 runs; and they needed every one of those runs to win this one.
Starting for St Louis was old reliable Bob Forsch who didn't fare much better than the rookie (3.2 IP - 7 H - 5 R - 0 BB - 1 SO - 1 HR). In fact, Preston Hanna, the Braves' second pitcher of the game didn't fare so well on the mound, either (3 IP - 6 H - 5 R - 2 BB - 1 SO), although did quite all right with a bat in his hands - two hits in two ABs with an RBI.
"Hitting" was definitely the theme for tonight's game. After the Cardinals scored two runs in each of the first three innings, Atlanta countered with a two-run second, then scored a single run in the third, and two more in the fourth to close the gap to a 6-5 deficit; but they just couldn't quite catch the Redbirds, who tacked on three more runs in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Herzog mysteriously brought in rookie Willie McGee to pinch hit for Tito Landrum - who had already homered in the game and had driven in three. On the mound for the Braves was former Cardinal madman Al Hrabosky. McGee, who had gotten off to a terrible start, promptly lined a run-scoring single to center - the first RBI in his career! Ozzie immediately got another hit, driving in two more runs. St Louis 9 - Atlanta 5.
After the Braves started roughing up Redbird reliever Andy Rincon in the seventh-inning, Herzog brought in Bruce Sutter to restore order. He got out of the jam with just one run scored (St Louis 9 - Atlanta 6), but he still had to get through the precarious eighth and ninth-innings. When the Redbirds scored their tenth and final run in the ninth, Sutter, who had no trouble in handling the Braves in the eighth, now had a four-run cushion as he took the mound in the bottom of the ninth. He needed all of that cushion.
Claudell Washington took Sutter deep to lead off the inning, making it a 10-7 game. Then, with one on and one out, Dale Murphy hit his second home run of the game, while Herzog pretended to remain calm in the Cardinals' dugout. Sutter, who had been stretched as far as he could realistically go (2.2 IP), hung on to record his eleventh save of the season. It was pretty, but it worked.
As for the shy rookie, Willie McGee, who finally got the first run batted in of his career; all the weight of the world seemed to be lifted off his slouched shoulders. His batting average, which had been hovering around .150 at this point in the season, would start climbing - all the way to .296 by season's end. But it would be the postseason that would make him an instant celebrity, and endear him to Cardinal Nation for life.
Monday, May 12, 2014
This Day in St Louis Cardinals History - May 5, 1992 - This Win Preceded 13 Straight Cinqo De Mayo Losses
May 5, 1992 - The Cardinals played host to the San Francisco Giants as 17,770 Margarita-drinking fans at Busch Stadium II witnessed a rare event for St Louis - A Redbird winner on Cinqo De Mayo! The franchise would have to wait until 2006 before once again claiming victory on this hallowed Mexican holiday (that's 13 straight losses for those keeping score at home). Strangely enough, that May 5, 2006 win for St Louis had significance in the standings, as the Redbirds just barely won enough regular season games to qualify for postseason play. Oh yeah, they won the World Series that year. Imagine that.
Omar Olivares, a young pitcher with an apparently bright future got the starting assignment for St Louis, as San Francisco countered with Kelly Downs, who had one of the worst - and shortest - starts of his career. He was knocked out of the game after just three innings, as the Cardinals built a 5-0 lead, featuring back-to-back third-inning home runs by Brian Jordan (a two-run blast) and Rex Hudler.
Meanwhile, Olivares had no trouble at all with the Giants through the first four innings; primarily due to the fact that San Francisco had no hits. This seemed like an easy winner; however, when the Cardinals loaded the bases with no out in the bottom of the fourth, and failed to score, the momentum suddenly changed. The Giants broke through for a run in the fifth-inning, then shocked the partisan fans with a four-run explosion in the sixth-inning to tie the game, 5-5.
Olivares' Cinqo De Mayo night was over: 5.1 IP - 5 H - 5 R - 2 BB - 5 SO- 1 HR (That's a lot of "fives", or as they say in Mexico, cinqos). Reliever Mike Perez finally retired the side in the sixth, after a couple of inherited runners scored to blow the save but set himself up for the win if St Louis could figure out a way to score again.
Sure enough, the Cardinals scratched out a run in their half of the sixth-inning, when Ozzie Smith scored from third base on a Todd Zeile sacrifice fly. After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the Giants loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, raising the level of paranoia from "moderate" to "extreme" in Cardinal Nation. Suddenly, Craig Colbert's vicious line drive was snagged by wondrous second baseman Rex Hudler, who flipped the ball to Ozzie covering second base for the inning-ending double play.
The Cardinals then tacked on an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead heading into the ninth. Lee Smith bagged his ninth save of the year with a perfect inning of work. St Louis managed to win this game despite blowing a five-run lead to a San Francisco lineup featuring old pal Willie McGee (3 for 4 with 2 runs scored) and future folk hero Will Clark (2-run sixth-inning home run).
Mike Perez (1.2 IP - 2 H - 0 R) was in the right place at the right time to get the win. Hard-luck Giants' hurler Dave Burba (4 IP - 2 H - 1 R - 2 BB - 4 SO) was in the wrong place at the wrong time to get the loss. The Cardinals' win snapped a two-game Cinqo De Mayo losing streak (1990-'91), but they would lose again the following year, and continue losing on May 5 throughout the Clinton administration and for most of the Bush administration.
Since 1964, the Cardinals are 16-30 on Cinqo De Mayo (not scheduled five times on May 5). They won in '64, '82, '06, and '11 - when they won the World Series; but they also won in 2013 when they lost the World Series. They lost in '67 when they won the World Series; but they also lost in '68, '85, '87 and '04 when they lost the World Series. Overall, in the ten seasons the Cardinals advanced to the World Series, when they won on Cinqo De Mayo, they also won the World Series four out of five times; but when they lost on Cinqo De Mayo, they also lost the Series four out of five times.
Confusing Conclusion: The Cardinals clearly have a better chance of winning a World Series in any given year if they also happen to win on Cinqo De Mayo. Well, they beat Atlanta on May 5, 2014, so if they happen to make it to another Fall Classic this year, I like their chances this time around.
Pass the salsa.
Omar Olivares, a young pitcher with an apparently bright future got the starting assignment for St Louis, as San Francisco countered with Kelly Downs, who had one of the worst - and shortest - starts of his career. He was knocked out of the game after just three innings, as the Cardinals built a 5-0 lead, featuring back-to-back third-inning home runs by Brian Jordan (a two-run blast) and Rex Hudler.
Meanwhile, Olivares had no trouble at all with the Giants through the first four innings; primarily due to the fact that San Francisco had no hits. This seemed like an easy winner; however, when the Cardinals loaded the bases with no out in the bottom of the fourth, and failed to score, the momentum suddenly changed. The Giants broke through for a run in the fifth-inning, then shocked the partisan fans with a four-run explosion in the sixth-inning to tie the game, 5-5.
Olivares' Cinqo De Mayo night was over: 5.1 IP - 5 H - 5 R - 2 BB - 5 SO- 1 HR (That's a lot of "fives", or as they say in Mexico, cinqos). Reliever Mike Perez finally retired the side in the sixth, after a couple of inherited runners scored to blow the save but set himself up for the win if St Louis could figure out a way to score again.
Sure enough, the Cardinals scratched out a run in their half of the sixth-inning, when Ozzie Smith scored from third base on a Todd Zeile sacrifice fly. After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the Giants loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, raising the level of paranoia from "moderate" to "extreme" in Cardinal Nation. Suddenly, Craig Colbert's vicious line drive was snagged by wondrous second baseman Rex Hudler, who flipped the ball to Ozzie covering second base for the inning-ending double play.
The Cardinals then tacked on an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead heading into the ninth. Lee Smith bagged his ninth save of the year with a perfect inning of work. St Louis managed to win this game despite blowing a five-run lead to a San Francisco lineup featuring old pal Willie McGee (3 for 4 with 2 runs scored) and future folk hero Will Clark (2-run sixth-inning home run).
Mike Perez (1.2 IP - 2 H - 0 R) was in the right place at the right time to get the win. Hard-luck Giants' hurler Dave Burba (4 IP - 2 H - 1 R - 2 BB - 4 SO) was in the wrong place at the wrong time to get the loss. The Cardinals' win snapped a two-game Cinqo De Mayo losing streak (1990-'91), but they would lose again the following year, and continue losing on May 5 throughout the Clinton administration and for most of the Bush administration.
Since 1964, the Cardinals are 16-30 on Cinqo De Mayo (not scheduled five times on May 5). They won in '64, '82, '06, and '11 - when they won the World Series; but they also won in 2013 when they lost the World Series. They lost in '67 when they won the World Series; but they also lost in '68, '85, '87 and '04 when they lost the World Series. Overall, in the ten seasons the Cardinals advanced to the World Series, when they won on Cinqo De Mayo, they also won the World Series four out of five times; but when they lost on Cinqo De Mayo, they also lost the Series four out of five times.
Confusing Conclusion: The Cardinals clearly have a better chance of winning a World Series in any given year if they also happen to win on Cinqo De Mayo. Well, they beat Atlanta on May 5, 2014, so if they happen to make it to another Fall Classic this year, I like their chances this time around.
Pass the salsa.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
August 21, 1964: This Date in St Louis Cardinals Championship History
August 21, 1964: In an improbable season that seemed destined for disappointment by late August, the St Louis Cardinals pulled one out of the fire against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park - scoring three runs in the top of the ninth-inning en route to an improbable 6-5 comeback win. Thanks to a couple of errors by the host Giants, the Redbirds were the beneficiaries of two unearned runs in the game; including the go-ahead run in the fateful ninth, which proved to be the margin of victory.
The Cardinals survived a disastrous starting pitching performance by the normally reliable veteran Curt Simmons, who coughed up four runs on five hits in just 1.2 innings pitched. They also survived a game that unreliable back-up catcher/comedian Bob Uecker started in place of the reliable Tim McCarver - and true to form, Uecks was hitless in two official at bats (he did manage a base on balls, however), and just for good measure, had a passed ball to add to his leger. Just another day in the office for Bob.
In a game that was dominated early by the Giants, as they forged a 5-2 lead after three-innings, featuring home runs by Jim Hart and Orlando Cepeda; notably absent from the offensive effort was a rare 0 for 4 day at the plate from the great Willie Mays. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Cardinals' bullpen held them in check during the final six-innings, as the Redbirds' defense played errorless ball (passed balls aren't errors, for some reason). The fourth Cardinals' pitcher - Ron Taylor - entered the game in the eighth-inning, inheriting runners on first and second with no outs. After quickly inducing a double play grounder and retiring the next batter to prevent any San Francisco scoring, the stage was set for the dramatic comeback that would give Taylor (6-3) his well-deserved and highly improbable win.
The big run-producer for the game was future '64 NL MVP Ken Boyer, who drove in three runs; but the unlikeliest of heroes for St Louis was the light-hitting Dal Maxvill, who delivered a key two-out ninth-inning single, which plated a run; but most importantly, kept the game alive for the next batter - Mike Shannon - to deliver another clutch hit that drove in the game-tying run; and when the relay from the outfield was mishandled by second baseman Hal Lanier, Maxvill also crossed the plate with the deciding unearned run.
Strangely enough, the Redbirds appeared to be Dead Birds after Boyer grounded out in that big ninth-inning, with Lou Brock on second base; but there were now two outs and the Cardinals trailed 5-3. The "win expectancy" at that moment was a scant three percent for the good guys. San Francisco elected to intentionally walk Bill White, which put the potential tying run on base, but that's when Maxie shocked the faithful gathering at Candlestick Park by stroking a run-scoring single to left field.
With the ancient knuckleball specialist Barney Schultz on the mound to face the heart of the Giants' order in the bottom of the ninth - Harvey Kuenn, Duke Snider and Willie Mays - the game appeared to be in jeopardy; however, two quick ground outs and a pop up by Mays to our hero Maxvill at shortstop ended the contest.
At the end of the day, St Louis (65-56) sat in 4th-place in the National League - a distant ten games behind the first-place Phillies, two and a half games behind the second-place Reds, and now just one and a half games behind the shell-shocked Giants. At the time, the significance of this game seemed on par with a typical Spring Training contest. The race for the National League pennant was "over" - or so they all thought. Wrong.
St Louis finished off the remaining 41 games of the regular season with a NL-best 28-13 (.683) record. In contrast, Philadelphia stumbled in with a dismal 17-24 (.415) finish - highlighted by a bizarre ten-game losing streak - which conveniently left them exactly one game behind the Redbirds after Game 162. Cardinal baseball historians may conclude that the unlikely outcome of Game 121 - this wildly bizarre one-run victory over the Giants - may have been the biggest win of the year.
The Cardinals survived a disastrous starting pitching performance by the normally reliable veteran Curt Simmons, who coughed up four runs on five hits in just 1.2 innings pitched. They also survived a game that unreliable back-up catcher/comedian Bob Uecker started in place of the reliable Tim McCarver - and true to form, Uecks was hitless in two official at bats (he did manage a base on balls, however), and just for good measure, had a passed ball to add to his leger. Just another day in the office for Bob.
In a game that was dominated early by the Giants, as they forged a 5-2 lead after three-innings, featuring home runs by Jim Hart and Orlando Cepeda; notably absent from the offensive effort was a rare 0 for 4 day at the plate from the great Willie Mays. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Cardinals' bullpen held them in check during the final six-innings, as the Redbirds' defense played errorless ball (passed balls aren't errors, for some reason). The fourth Cardinals' pitcher - Ron Taylor - entered the game in the eighth-inning, inheriting runners on first and second with no outs. After quickly inducing a double play grounder and retiring the next batter to prevent any San Francisco scoring, the stage was set for the dramatic comeback that would give Taylor (6-3) his well-deserved and highly improbable win.
The big run-producer for the game was future '64 NL MVP Ken Boyer, who drove in three runs; but the unlikeliest of heroes for St Louis was the light-hitting Dal Maxvill, who delivered a key two-out ninth-inning single, which plated a run; but most importantly, kept the game alive for the next batter - Mike Shannon - to deliver another clutch hit that drove in the game-tying run; and when the relay from the outfield was mishandled by second baseman Hal Lanier, Maxvill also crossed the plate with the deciding unearned run.
Strangely enough, the Redbirds appeared to be Dead Birds after Boyer grounded out in that big ninth-inning, with Lou Brock on second base; but there were now two outs and the Cardinals trailed 5-3. The "win expectancy" at that moment was a scant three percent for the good guys. San Francisco elected to intentionally walk Bill White, which put the potential tying run on base, but that's when Maxie shocked the faithful gathering at Candlestick Park by stroking a run-scoring single to left field.
With the ancient knuckleball specialist Barney Schultz on the mound to face the heart of the Giants' order in the bottom of the ninth - Harvey Kuenn, Duke Snider and Willie Mays - the game appeared to be in jeopardy; however, two quick ground outs and a pop up by Mays to our hero Maxvill at shortstop ended the contest.
At the end of the day, St Louis (65-56) sat in 4th-place in the National League - a distant ten games behind the first-place Phillies, two and a half games behind the second-place Reds, and now just one and a half games behind the shell-shocked Giants. At the time, the significance of this game seemed on par with a typical Spring Training contest. The race for the National League pennant was "over" - or so they all thought. Wrong.
St Louis finished off the remaining 41 games of the regular season with a NL-best 28-13 (.683) record. In contrast, Philadelphia stumbled in with a dismal 17-24 (.415) finish - highlighted by a bizarre ten-game losing streak - which conveniently left them exactly one game behind the Redbirds after Game 162. Cardinal baseball historians may conclude that the unlikely outcome of Game 121 - this wildly bizarre one-run victory over the Giants - may have been the biggest win of the year.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Shocking MLB Power Rankings - 2013
Remember when the American League East used to be the best division in baseball? Heading into the 2013 MLB season, it may actually be the weakest, as former heavyweights - the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox - appear likely to fight it out for last place. I'll give the edge to the Yankees to reign supreme in futility, although the Red Sox could mount another epic late-season meltdown to retain their hold on last place in the East. The Toronto Blue Jays will be vastly improved, but still not quite playoff caliber, as they will likely battle the Baltimore Orioles for second place this time around. If the Tampa Bay Rays can keep Evan Longoria in the lineup for 150 games in 2013, they should be able to take the top spot in that once mighty division.
Remember when the National League East used to be owned by the Philadelphia Phillies and their great pitching staff and potent lineup? After winning a franchise-record 102 games in 2011, Philadelphia showed signs of age last year, barely playing .500 ball, while the upstart Washington Nationals and a very good Atlanta Braves team dominated that division - and seem poised for a repeat performance in 2013. If Philly can keep their big guns on the field for most of the season, they may still find their way to the top, but they'll need some major catastrophes to hit Atlanta and DC to get past those two powerhouses.
Remember when the American League West used to be totally dominated by the Texas Rangers for the better part of three seasons? Those days are long gone, as the teams actually located on the West Coast - LA Angels of Anaheim, Oakland A's, and even the Seattle Mariners - are poised to battle for the top spot this season. That's right; even the once-lowly Mariners could very well make a postseason run in 2013, while the two Texas teams (remember the Astros?) should be bringing up the rear.
Over in the revamped National League West, the World Champion San Francisco Giants seem content to bring back the same team that won it all last year, while the free-spending LA Dodgers have gathered an expensive and under-achieving core of players who were the stars of their previous (last place) teams and may not be much better in 2013. If they're able to challenge San Fran for the top spot in the West, they'll have to do it with their pitching - which should be significantly better with the addition of Zack Greinke to the rotation; assuming he doesn't experience some sort of weird psychological issues pitching half his games in front of those skeptical fans in Lala Land.
Over in the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers have a formidable team "on paper" but can they go all the way with a questionable closer, two overweight corner infielders, and MLB's greatest pitcher who serves up nothing but meatballs to National League hitters, who love feasting on his servings? The Kansas City Royals, who haven't made a return trip to the postseason since their shocking World Series Championship in 1985, seem poised to break that drought in 2013, after acquiring a couple of Tampa's reliable pitchers - James Shields and Wade Davis - assuming the offense can generate enough firepower. Even the Cleveland Indians spent a bunch of money to make a Swish-alicious run this year, led by former Red Sox skipper and best-selling author Terry Francona. They may grab a wildcard, but that's a stretch. Speaking of the White Sox, they're a decent team who could sneak in there, too; but don't count on it, Hawk.
Saving the best for last, the Cincinnati Reds ran away with the National League Central last year, but mysteriously failed to get past the Giants in the NLDS. They seem to have great pitching, but with a questionable offense, I don't think they'll get past the St Louis Cardinals this year - a team that is historically under-rated every season, but usually finds a way to win when they need to. Don't be fooled by last year's mediocre won-loss record; they had the second best run differential in the NL, and with their offensive firepower, should cruise to a division title - despite middle infield question marks. Look for the Milwaukee Brewers to suck, as a possible 50-game suspension looms large over Ryan Braun's fat head. Pittsburgh? I hope they can win more than 81 games, but don't count on it. The Cubbies? I have a strange feeling they won't finish in last place this year, despite losing Houston to the American League. Milwaukee should've been shipped back there instead, but their inevitable futility will be satisfying for the vast majority of Cardinal Nation. Yes, I hate them.
Without further adieu, here's Uncle Larry's Shocking 2013 MLB Pre-Season Power Rankings:
30 - Miami Marlins - You thought they were bad last year?
29 - Houston Astros - They have some young talent; just not enough of it.
28 - Minnesota Twins - Probably the worst team in the American League, again.
27 - Colorado Rockies - No pitching in a hitter's park spells disaster again.
26 - Chicago Cubs - No doubt under-rated here; maybe they'll avoid the cellar?
25 - New York Mets - Need more pitching and outfield help, to say the least.
24 - New York Yankees - 2013 about as bad as 1966 in the Big Apple? Very possible.
23 - Boston Red Sox - A change in culture may keep them out of the cellar?
22 - Texas Rangers - No Josh Hamilton; no chance for this team.
21 - Seattle Mariners - Improved, but will need some miracles to reach postseason.
20 - Pittsburgh Pirates - See above.
19 - Cleveland Indians - May hang in there; spent tons of money.
18 - Kansas City Royals - Maybe enough pitching this year? Probably not.
17 - Milwaukee Brewers - Last year's strong finish was a fluke. They suck.
16 - Chicago White Sox - A winning record is about all they can hope for.
15 - Arizona Diamondbacks - Trading Justin Upton accomplished what? We'll see.
14 - Baltimore Orioles - Did it with smoke and mirrors last year. Not sure about this year.
13 - Toronto Blue Jays - Expected to make a run this year, but I doubt it.
12 - San Diego Padres - Still under-rated, but not by me. They could get a wild card berth.
11 - Philadelphia Phillies - Aging but still dangerous.
10 - LA Dodgers - Like the Mets of the '90s, spent a lot of money, but that doesn't always work.
09 - Oakland Athletics - Love what they did last year; tough to repeat it, though.
08 - Tampa Bay Rays - Best team in a weak division; success depends on Longo's health.
07 - Cincinnati Reds - Great pitching; questionable offense. Always over-rated.
06 - St Louis Cardinals - Questionable defense; great offense. Always under-rated.
05 - LA Angels of Anaheim - Adding Josh Hamilton will help, as Albert continues to regress.
04 - San Francisco Giants - Marco Scutaro expected to carry the team again? Marco Scutaro?
03 - Detroit Tigers - Better win before weight issues attack the corner infielders.
02 - Atlanta Braves - Great defensive outfield; great bullpen; no Chipper, no problem.
01 - Washington Nationals - '12 NLDS meltdown motivated GM Mike Rizzo to use overkill in acquiring more bullpen help in Rafael Soriano (42 saves in '12); starting pitching should be even better with full season of Stephen Strasburg.
Remember when the National League East used to be owned by the Philadelphia Phillies and their great pitching staff and potent lineup? After winning a franchise-record 102 games in 2011, Philadelphia showed signs of age last year, barely playing .500 ball, while the upstart Washington Nationals and a very good Atlanta Braves team dominated that division - and seem poised for a repeat performance in 2013. If Philly can keep their big guns on the field for most of the season, they may still find their way to the top, but they'll need some major catastrophes to hit Atlanta and DC to get past those two powerhouses.
Remember when the American League West used to be totally dominated by the Texas Rangers for the better part of three seasons? Those days are long gone, as the teams actually located on the West Coast - LA Angels of Anaheim, Oakland A's, and even the Seattle Mariners - are poised to battle for the top spot this season. That's right; even the once-lowly Mariners could very well make a postseason run in 2013, while the two Texas teams (remember the Astros?) should be bringing up the rear.
Over in the revamped National League West, the World Champion San Francisco Giants seem content to bring back the same team that won it all last year, while the free-spending LA Dodgers have gathered an expensive and under-achieving core of players who were the stars of their previous (last place) teams and may not be much better in 2013. If they're able to challenge San Fran for the top spot in the West, they'll have to do it with their pitching - which should be significantly better with the addition of Zack Greinke to the rotation; assuming he doesn't experience some sort of weird psychological issues pitching half his games in front of those skeptical fans in Lala Land.
Over in the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers have a formidable team "on paper" but can they go all the way with a questionable closer, two overweight corner infielders, and MLB's greatest pitcher who serves up nothing but meatballs to National League hitters, who love feasting on his servings? The Kansas City Royals, who haven't made a return trip to the postseason since their shocking World Series Championship in 1985, seem poised to break that drought in 2013, after acquiring a couple of Tampa's reliable pitchers - James Shields and Wade Davis - assuming the offense can generate enough firepower. Even the Cleveland Indians spent a bunch of money to make a Swish-alicious run this year, led by former Red Sox skipper and best-selling author Terry Francona. They may grab a wildcard, but that's a stretch. Speaking of the White Sox, they're a decent team who could sneak in there, too; but don't count on it, Hawk.
Saving the best for last, the Cincinnati Reds ran away with the National League Central last year, but mysteriously failed to get past the Giants in the NLDS. They seem to have great pitching, but with a questionable offense, I don't think they'll get past the St Louis Cardinals this year - a team that is historically under-rated every season, but usually finds a way to win when they need to. Don't be fooled by last year's mediocre won-loss record; they had the second best run differential in the NL, and with their offensive firepower, should cruise to a division title - despite middle infield question marks. Look for the Milwaukee Brewers to suck, as a possible 50-game suspension looms large over Ryan Braun's fat head. Pittsburgh? I hope they can win more than 81 games, but don't count on it. The Cubbies? I have a strange feeling they won't finish in last place this year, despite losing Houston to the American League. Milwaukee should've been shipped back there instead, but their inevitable futility will be satisfying for the vast majority of Cardinal Nation. Yes, I hate them.
Without further adieu, here's Uncle Larry's Shocking 2013 MLB Pre-Season Power Rankings:
30 - Miami Marlins - You thought they were bad last year?
29 - Houston Astros - They have some young talent; just not enough of it.
28 - Minnesota Twins - Probably the worst team in the American League, again.
27 - Colorado Rockies - No pitching in a hitter's park spells disaster again.
26 - Chicago Cubs - No doubt under-rated here; maybe they'll avoid the cellar?
25 - New York Mets - Need more pitching and outfield help, to say the least.
24 - New York Yankees - 2013 about as bad as 1966 in the Big Apple? Very possible.
23 - Boston Red Sox - A change in culture may keep them out of the cellar?
22 - Texas Rangers - No Josh Hamilton; no chance for this team.
21 - Seattle Mariners - Improved, but will need some miracles to reach postseason.
20 - Pittsburgh Pirates - See above.
19 - Cleveland Indians - May hang in there; spent tons of money.
18 - Kansas City Royals - Maybe enough pitching this year? Probably not.
17 - Milwaukee Brewers - Last year's strong finish was a fluke. They suck.
16 - Chicago White Sox - A winning record is about all they can hope for.
15 - Arizona Diamondbacks - Trading Justin Upton accomplished what? We'll see.
14 - Baltimore Orioles - Did it with smoke and mirrors last year. Not sure about this year.
13 - Toronto Blue Jays - Expected to make a run this year, but I doubt it.
12 - San Diego Padres - Still under-rated, but not by me. They could get a wild card berth.
11 - Philadelphia Phillies - Aging but still dangerous.
10 - LA Dodgers - Like the Mets of the '90s, spent a lot of money, but that doesn't always work.
09 - Oakland Athletics - Love what they did last year; tough to repeat it, though.
08 - Tampa Bay Rays - Best team in a weak division; success depends on Longo's health.
07 - Cincinnati Reds - Great pitching; questionable offense. Always over-rated.
06 - St Louis Cardinals - Questionable defense; great offense. Always under-rated.
05 - LA Angels of Anaheim - Adding Josh Hamilton will help, as Albert continues to regress.
04 - San Francisco Giants - Marco Scutaro expected to carry the team again? Marco Scutaro?
03 - Detroit Tigers - Better win before weight issues attack the corner infielders.
02 - Atlanta Braves - Great defensive outfield; great bullpen; no Chipper, no problem.
01 - Washington Nationals - '12 NLDS meltdown motivated GM Mike Rizzo to use overkill in acquiring more bullpen help in Rafael Soriano (42 saves in '12); starting pitching should be even better with full season of Stephen Strasburg.
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