On the heels of an 83-win regular season in which nothing came easily, Yadier Molina, Jeff Suppan, and Adam Wainwright led the Cardinals to a 3-1 victory over the Mets in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, sending St. Louis to a World Series match-up with the Detroit Tigers.
“It had to be one of the best baseball games ever played,” said Wainwright, the team’s rookie closer. “Just unbelievable tension right to the last pitch.”[1]
A Hard-Fought Game From the Start
Coming off a 4-2 loss in Game 6, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa turned to veteran starter Jeff Suppan, who had thrown eight shutout innings in a 5-0 victory in Game 3. La Russa also opted to use his sixth different lineup of the series, moving Molina from eighth to seventh in the order while dropping Ronnie Belliard to eighth.
That decision ultimately proved key to the victory.
Both teams scored early. In the first inning, David Wright singled to drive in Carlos Beltrán for a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals answered an inning later when Belliard laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Jim Edmonds from third, tying the game 1-1.
Endy Chavez’s Incredible Catch
From there, both starting pitchers took command. Mets starter Óliver Pérez allowed just four hits through the first five innings, but trouble arose when he walked Edmonds with one out in the sixth. The free pass drew Mets manager Willie Randolph out of the dugout, and after a brief chat, Mets fans applauded when Randolph walked away, leaving his young starter in the game.
The decision almost backfired.
On the next pitch, Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen hit a high fly ball that seemed destined for the stands. Mets left fielder Endy Chavez, however, timed his leap perfectly, pulling the ball back from over the wall and doubling off Edmonds at first base to end the inning.
“It was an unbelievable play – I thought it went over the fence,” Rolen said.[2]
“It seemed like destiny was on our side,” Mets closer Billy Wagner said.[3]
Jeff Suppan Delivers Seven Strong Innings
Suppan delivered seven strong innings, working around five walks while allowing just two hits. Across his two NLCS starts, Suppan allowed just one run on five hits in 15 innings.
“I never thought I’d be in a situation like this,” Suppan said. “We got here because we focused on what we had to focus on and we were able to persevere.”[4]
After Suppan walked Beltrán to open the eighth, La Russa called on reliever Randy Flores, who delivered in the high-pressure moment. Flores struck out Carlos Delgado and Wright before getting Shawn Green to ground out, keeping the game tied 1-1.
Yadier Molina’s Clutch Home Run
The deadlock continued into the ninth inning. Mets reliever Aaron Heilman returned to the mound for his second inning of work after a scoreless eighth. This time, however, he ran into trouble. With one out, Rolen singled to left, setting the stage for Molina.
The Cardinals’ 23-year-old catcher had hit just .216 during the regular season, but was the team’s hottest hitter during the postseason, batting .333 with two homers and a team-high seven RBIs.
His hot streak continued when Heilman hung a changeup.
“It’s great. A great feeling,” Molina said. “It’s the best moment of my life.”[5]
“I just wanted to look for my pitch and put a good swing on it,” he added. “If it’s not there, I don’t swing.”[6]
“Obviously, he’s been seeing the ball a lot better the last couple of weeks,” said Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. “Right now, when we need him, he’s coming through with some big hits for us.”[7]
Adam Wainwright Saves the Game
For the bottom of the ninth, La Russa once again called upon Wainwright, the highly touted rookie who had inherited the closer’s job following a season-ending injury to Jason Isringhausen.
As was usual for the 2006 Cardinals, it didn’t come easy. José Valentín and Chavez each singled to open the inning. With Heilman’s place coming up in the batting order, Randolph called upon Cliff Floyd to pinch hit. Wainwright struck him out looking, then got José Reyes to line out to center. A five-pitch walk to Paul Lo Duca, however, brought Beltrán to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.
Wainwright struck him out on three pitches, including a sharp curveball that caught Beltrán looking to end the game.
“Unbelievable. I was so happy,” Wainwright said. “When I got him 0-2, I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to make one more good pitch. One more great pitch and let’s go to the Series.’”[8]
On KTRS, former Cardinals star Mike Shannon called the final pitch: “The 0-2 delivery. Curve, struck him out looking! The Cardinals are going to Michigan to take on the Tigers! They mob, they mob Adam Wainwright on the mound! They are National League champions and headed toward Detroit as they mob the pitcher and now Yadier Molina. In come the bullpenners to pile on! The Cardinals have won this game 3-1 on a two-run home run by their catcher, Yadier Molina.”
A Season Defined by Resilience
With their 90th win of the season, the Cardinals set a date to face the Tigers in the World Series. Detroit had swept the Athletics in the ALCS earlier that week.
“It’s been a unique season because we’ve had so many ups and downs,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said. “We’ve had so many injuries, a new ballpark, uncertain how things are going to play out. Having lost (Mark) Mulder early in the year. Losing Izzy (Isringhausen) at the end. But this team continues to be resilient, bounce back, and play well.”[9]
“We’ve all had a tough year. It’s been a long year,” Edmonds said. “To get to this point, after the year we’ve had, is the most unbelievable feeling I’ve ever had.”[10]
Meanwhile, the Mets, who had won 97 games and captured their first NL East title since 1988, were left to ponder what might have been.
“It was the most disappointing thing I’ve ever been connected with,” Floyd said.[11]
“I don’t know how you can look at this as a good season,” added Wagner. “We didn’t win anything. We all expected to go to Detroit. To sit back and watch another team celebrate on our field, that’s tough.”[12]
The Cardinals carried their momentum from the NLCS into the World Series, beating the Tigers in five games and capping the series with a 4-2 win at Busch Stadium.
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[1] Bernie Miklasz, “Season of torment stays tough to the end,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2006.
[2] Joe Ostermeier, “Rolen felt the pain of hitting a home run that wasn’t,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.
[3] David Lennon, “For Mets, it’s a world of pain,” Newsday, October 20, 2006.
[4] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.
[5] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.
[6] Joe Ostermeier, “La Russa shifted his lineup for Game 7,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.
[7] Joe Ostermeier, “La Russa shifted his lineup for Game 7,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.
[8] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.
[9] Derrick Goold, “Resilient Redbirds flag down pennant,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2006.
[10] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.
[11] David Lennon, “For Mets, it’s a world of pain,” Newsday, October 20, 2006.
[12] David Lennon, “For Mets, it’s a world of pain,” Newsday, October 20, 2006.