Game 1 of the 2011 NLCS had been a tough one for Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals. After jumping out to a 5-2 lead, the Cardinals allowed a pair of two-run home runs in the fifth inning of what turned into a 9-6 Brewers win. Most frustrating for Pujols was his at-bat in […]
October 10, 2011: Pujols drives in five as Cardinals even the NLCS Read More »
On paper, Game 5 of the 2011 National League Division Series between the Cardinals and Phillies appeared primed for a pitching duel. The result more than lived up to expectations. After the Phillies captured two of the first three games in the series, the Cardinals forced the decisive fifth game when David Freese drove in
October 7, 2011: Carpenter outduels Halladay to send the Cardinals to the NLCS Read More »
With the Cardinals’ backs against the wall in Game 4 of the 2011 NLDS, David Freese and the Rally Squirrel made their debuts as postseason heroes. Down two games to one in the best-of-five series following a 3-2 loss in Game 3, the Cardinals needed back-to-back wins to keep their season alive. That was a
October 5, 2011: Rally Squirrel and David Freese emerge as postseason heroes Read More »
Things could not have looked much worse for the Cardinals early in Game 2 of their October 2, 2011, National League Division Series match-up against the Phillies. One day earlier, they lost the series opener 11-6 as Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, a graduate of Wildwood’s Lafayette High School, launched a three-run homer as part
Cardinals rally vs. Cliff Lee to win 2011 NLDS Game 2 Read More »
After pitching their second complete game in three days, most men would have applied every cube of ice they could find to their aching pitching arm. After shutting out the Reds on the final day of the 1934 season to secure the National League championship, Dizzy Dean had other ideas. Shortly after Dean walked off
September 30, 1934: Dizzy Dean’s 30th win clinches the National League pennant Read More »
On September 24, 2020, Yadier Molina joined the 2,000-hit club. The milestone came during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, so Molina became the only Cardinal to collect his 2,000th career hit without fans in attendance. Instead, his teammates had to do their best to fill in for the fans, offering a standing ovation for their unofficial
Yadier Molina gets his 2,000th career hit Read More »
David Freese made a habit of coming through with big, two-out hits in the fall of 2011. While Freese stunned the Rangers – and all of baseball – with his clutch performance in the World Series, the Cardinals got their first glimpse of Freese’s penchant for the dramatic on September 21, 2011, when his three-run
How David Freese pulled the Cardinals within 1 1/2 games of the 2011 wild card Read More »
On September 23, 1941, Stan Musial hit the first home run of his Hall of Fame career. Though it was just his eighth game since the Cardinals called him up from their minor-league affiliate in Rochester, Musial already had established himself as a dangerous hitter. In his big-league debut, Musial tallied two hits, including a
How Stan Musial hit his first career home run Read More »
On September 17, 1941, the greatest Cardinal of all time, Stan Musial, made his major-league debut. Sandwiched between center fielder Johnny Hopp and first baseman Johnny Mize in the No. 3 spot in the Cardinals’ lineup, 20-year-old Musial had two hits, including a two-run double, in the Cardinals’ 3-2 win over the Boston Braves. The
September 17, 1941: Stan Musial makes his debut Read More »
With less than two weeks remaining in the 2011 season, every game was crucial as the Cardinals sought to catch the Braves in the National League wild-card race. Entering their September 16 game against the NL East-leading Phillies, the Cardinals had won six of their last seven games and cut Atlanta’s wild-card lead to 4