Turning Point
October's cold winds swirled with postseason baseball's high stakes drama in the air Thursday night in St. Louis, but Game 7 of the NLCS was, in some ways, just another night at Busch Stadium. Using the same formula that won them 105 games during the regular season -- timely hits from their big sluggers, stellar defense, unspectacular but adequate starting pitching, and sharp bullpen work -- the Cardinals advanced to the World Series.
The game turned in the sixth inning with a crucial leadoff at-bat from Roger Cedeno. Pinch hitting for starter Jeff Suppan, Cedeno roped a single to center field and seemed to disrupt Roger Clemens' rhythm once he was on base. Edgar Renteria sacrificed Cedeno to second before Albert Pujols doubled to left field. Scott Rolen followed Pujols by slamming his game-winning home run to left field, nearly the identical spot where Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run six years ago.
Cardinals players point to another crucial moment: Jim Edmonds' diving grab of a Brad Ausmus liner in the second inning with two runners on base. "That was definitely one of the biggest plays in the game," said Rolen after the game. "If [Edmonds] doesn't make that catch, we're down 3-0 against Clemens." Said Edmonds: "That's probably the hardest I've run for a ball all year."
From the Bench
Tony La Russa was at his best in Game 7. St. Louis' squeeze play in the third was particularly gutsy because Tony Womack, the runner who came home on the play, had been suffering from back spasms and was far from 100 percent. "You see [Clemens] pitching well," said La Russa. "We were at the bottom of the lineup. It's a high-risk play. But you go ahead and take a shot." ... La Russa's faith in embattled reliever Julian Tavarez might have won him this series. A day after being fined $10,000 by Major League Baseball for allegedly throwing at Jeff Bagwell in Game 5 of the series, Tavarez pitched a scoreless eighth inning in Game 7. In Game 6, Tavarez pitched a scoreless 11th and 12th innings to pick up the win. ... Astros manager Phil Garner approached the mound in the fateful sixth inning after Cedeno hit his single and Pujols came to the plate. Garner had a discussion with Clemens about walking the red-hot Pujols with first base open. "Roger's earned the right to put his two cents' worth in on any of those decisions," Garner said. "We talked about whether he wanted to go ahead and walk Pujols and pitch to Rolen or if we wanted to try to make pitches on Pujols."
Clubhouse Confidential
Several Astros players made a ritual out of growing out their facial hair during the playoffs, including Jeff Bagwell, Brad Ausmus, and Lance Berkman, who emerged from the Astros clubhouse after Game 7 clean shaven for the first time in the postseason. ... One of the first people to greeting Cardinals players and coaches with hugs as they entered the Cardinals clubhouse just moments after the game was FOX broadcaster Joe Buck, who is also the team's TV play-by-play announcer. ... No word yet on Chris Carpenter's availability in the World Series. Carpenter was the Cardinals' best pitcher during the regular season but hasn't pitched since mid-September because of a biceps strain and nerve irritation in his right arm. The Cardinals, though, are encouraged by the progress Carpenter has made in the past couple days.
Bottom Line
They were separated by 13 games during the regular season, but the Cardinals and Astros were evenly matched in October. Entering Game 7, the two teams shared identical team batting averages (.246) and ERAs (4.80) in the NLCS. Fittingly, it was St. Louis' big sluggers who ultimately carried the Cardinals to the World Series, and their potent lineup matches up well against Boston's pitching. "I see the Red Sox as a very deserving, very competitive ballclub," said Rolen, drenched in champagne. "It should be a nice challenge and a great contest."
