As for the NLDS, the Cards have won six of seven series since the best-of-five playoff round was added in 1995. Here are the top 5 in chronological order:

 

In the first-ever NLDS game in Cardinals' history and first postseason game in St. Louis since 1987, Gary Gaetti blasted a three-run homer in the first inning off starter Joey Hamilton to give St. Louis the early lead. Starter Todd Stottlemyre permitted just one run over 6 2/3 innings before he turned the game over to the "Grumpy Old Men", aka Rick Honeycutt and Dennis Eckersley. Both worked around trouble in the final 2 1/3 innings and secured a 3-1 win. The Cards swept the series.

 

The game also provided two other memorable moments. First, after retiring Tony Gwynn on a comebacker for the final out, "Eck" flashed his signature smile and fist pump in a memorable display of emotion. Also, Rickey Henderson exchanged barbs with fans throughout the game. Fans were still upset about Henderson's "I'm the greatest ever" comment after he surpassed Lou Brock's all-time stolen base record in 1991.

 

Rookie Rick Ankiel took to the mound as the surprise starter although skipper Tony La Russa told the media the previous day that 20-game winner Darryl Kile would take the mound. In fact, Kile even fielded questions in the national media session in lieu of Ankiel.

 

The Cards scored six runs in the first off starter Greg Maddux, thanks in part to shoddy Atlanta defense. Even with the big cushion, Ankiel fell apart in the third by throwing five wild pitches as the Braves scored four times. Ankiel became the first pitcher in 110 years to throw five wild pitches in one inning.

 

Luckily, the Cardinals' bullpen limited the Braves to one run the rest of the way, and the Cards held on for the 7-5 win. Sadly, Ankiel was never the same pitcher, but as we know, he has turned into a darn good outfielder. The Cards also swept this series.

 

The "Heartbreaker in the Desert" saw Arizona's Tony Womack driving home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to propel the Diamondbacks to the series-clinching victory. But the game was a classic pitchers' duel between Curt Schilling and Matt Morris. Arizona took a 1-0 in the fourth on a Reggie Sanders homer. But, with two outs in the eighth, J.D. Drew tied the game with a solo blast off Schilling. In the ninth, the Cards had a chance to take the lead. Jim Edmonds stood at second with one out, but Schilling struck out Edgar Renteria and Mike Matheny to end the threat. It was also the final game of Mark McGwire's career as Kerry Robinson pinched hit for the ailing slugger in the ninth.

 

The Cards were up 2 games to 1 in the series, but were reeling from the previous night when they were somehow shutout by journeyman Jose Lima (the...worst...ever). The Cards, however, responded to close out the series. With the game tied at 2 in the fourth, Albert Pujols slugged a three-run homer to give St. Louis the lead. L.A. native Jeff Suppan silenced the Dodger Stadium crowd by limiting L.A. to just 2 runs and 2 hits over seven innings. The Cards won 6-2.  

 

You may recall that after the game ended, members of both teams shook hands on the field. Fans stood and applauded. They do this in hockey at the end of a playoff series, so why not in baseball postseason?

The Redbirds limped in the playoffs with low expectations from fans and media after the club nearly collapsed in the final month of the season. But with a healthy lineup for the first time in a long while, the Cards begun to play their best baseball of the season. The game turned in the fourth when catcher Mike Piazza dropped an easy pop foul off the bat of Pujols. On the next pitch by Jake Peavy, El Hombre crushed a 2-run homer over the centerfield wall to give St. Louis the lead. The Cards rolled to the 5-1 win and won the series in four games. It turned out to be a pretty fun October, eh?

 

 

Most people in Cardinals Nation, including this blogger, like the signing of Kyle Lohse to a 4-year, $41 million deal on Monday. The righthander is coming off a career season (15-6, 3.78 ERA, 200 innings). He was a solid performer, especially in the friendly confines of Busch Stadium where he went 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 18 starts.

 

Although Lohse's overall career numbers is ordinary (78-80, 4.67 ERA over 8 seasons), his track record indicates that he's a reliable performer as Bernie Miklasz cited in his column in Thursday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "… since Lohse broke into the bigs in 2002, only 26 starters have thrown more innings, and only 18 have made more starts. Lohse has averaged about 185 innings a year. He has never been on the disabled list. His mechanics are refined and low-stress."

 

Lohse was going to receive big bucks this offseason after his career year. Still, Lohse took less money to stay in St. Louis (translation: hometown discount). He easily could of landed a deal similar to Carlos Silva's 4-year, $48-million deal with Seattle. But, Lohse realized he could enjoy continued success under the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Duncan. Do you think Jeff Weaver regrets not re-signing here? 

 

Lohse is the No. 2 starter in a rotation consisting of Adam Wainwright, Todd Wellemeyer and Joel Pineiro. What about Chris Carpenter? Well, as we know, the injury-plagued hurler is experiencing nerve discomfort that affects his right shoulder. After several consultations with doctors, Carpenter has elected not to have surgery and will opt for therapy and rest.

 

GM John Mozeliak told the Post-Dispatch earlier this week that he believes "Carp" will likely be ready by spring training next February. He thinks the 2005 Cy Young award winner will be in the rotation. "Mo" also told the newspaper that he doesn't plan to pursue a big-name pitcher to round out the rotation. Instead, if Carpenter can't go, the club's contingency options are Kyle McClellan or Brad Thompson, or the club may sign or trade for a "swing" pitcher.  

 

Mozeliak, who I believe has done a good job thus far as GM, is making a mistake by counting on Carpenter next season. Didn't he learn from what took place this past season? Fans were told that Carpenter and Mark Mulder would bolster the starting rotation upon their returns. Instead, the duo combined to make just 4 starts. Their inability to perform was one of the primary reasons why the club failed to reach postseason.

 

Plus, let's be realistic about Wellemeyer and Pineiro. Wellemeyer had a terrific year (13-9, 3.71 ERA, 32 starts) but pitched a career-high 191.2 innings, more than double his previous high. Is it fair to expect Wellemeyer to be a workhorse again? Remember, he did experience some elbow discomfort in the middle of this past season. 

 

As for Pineiro, he was a disappointment in '08, finishing 7-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 26 games. He's signed through '09, but what can you really expect from a pitcher who is 42-52 and a 5.95 ERA since 2004? 

 

Reinforcements in the minors are thin. Yeah, Mitchell Boggs is available, but he's still a work in progress. Promising hurlers Jaime Garcia and Mike Parisi will miss '09 as they recover from major elbow surgeries.

 

Sure, it's possible that Carpenter could bounce back and pitch well again. Wellemeyer could continue his success and Pineiro could have a "bounce-back" year as he approaches free agency. If someone slips, perhaps Boggs or McClellan could step in and become a quality starter. But, at this point, the rotation is not good enough compared to top N.L. teams. 

 

The Cardinals are dealing from a position of strength this winter with roughly $40 million coming off the books - although some of it will be reallocated to Lohse's new deal, to arbitration-eligible players and raises to players with long-term deals. Plus, the team's surplus of outfielders and emerging collection of young talent in the minors gives Mozeliak some trading chips (Bryan Anderson, for example).

 

With resources available, the club could pursue several No. 2- or No. 3-quality pitchers available as free agents -- A.J. Burnett, Ryan Dempster, Derek Lowe, just to name a few. Or, teams looking to shed payroll might be willing to move a good starter. Even re-signing Braden Looper is an option, although the club can find a more accomplished starter.

 

It's true that the Cardinals need to overhaul the bullpen and add an "impact" bat to the middle infield. But, starting pitching is the lifeblood of any team. This is not the time to sign another injured pitcher who is supposedly mending (see Clement, Matt), or to turn over an also-ran to miracle worker Dave Duncan.

 

I fear the Cards will regret not signing or acquiring another quality pitcher. Yes, the market for pitching is grossly expensive, but if the Cardinals want to return to the postseason in 2009, the club desperately needs a legitimate No. 2 or No. 3 starter to enhance its chances.