The St. Louis Standard

I made the executive decision to basically do the MLB Playoffs like I did with the Brewers this season. Meaning the previews will be the same, highlights and lowlights will show up plus some recaps and bigger pieces. Hope you enjoy.

Even though Game 5 of the NLDS featured two teams with more than 90 wins, it still felt like a David v. Goliath matchup. Enter Pittsburgh, a team who has not been to the playoffs in over twenty years. Enter St. Louis, one of the premier baseball teams in all of Major League Baseball.  Unlike the famed story, Goliath imposed his will as the Cardinals defeated the Pirates, 6-1. St. Louis relied on mostly familiar October superstars to win this game.

Adam Wainwright is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he showed why on Wednesday night. Will Leitch of Sports on Earth and noted Cardinals enthusiast pointed out Wainwright is 3-0, 2.27 ERA, 8.5 K/BB for his postseason career and if you factor out the Washington series last year, his ERA would be under one. That's silly. Wainwright's curveball could not have been more on last night fooling batters left and right throughout the game.   

The crazy thing about Wainwright's complete game last night is when the Pirates did get a run, it happens because of shitty Cardinals defense and not Wainwright giving up a home run or something. He had three straight groundballs and it ended up costing him a run. That's incredible for Wainwright.  It is likely we will see Wainwright in Game 3 against Los Angeles and probably Game 7, maybe Game 6 if they need Wainwright earlier than later. He is a true ace, maybe one of the least talked about too. 

There were other players in ensuring the Cardinals went 6-1 in elimination games since 2000. As Mark Jackson used to say, 'Mama, there goes that man again', and that man was David Freese. The postseason hero of the 2011 World Series team has struggled for the greater part of this season, but in a game when it mattered the most, Freese blasted a two-run homer to put the Cardinals ahead giving St. Louis an early advantage. He might have scuffled his feet all season, but Freeze shows why you do not count him out... ever.  

Matt Adams was not on the 2011 World Series team, but he provided the major insurance with a home run hit to Columbia, Missouri in the eighth inning putting St. Louis up 5-1. Adams is a reserve. A RESERVE. He is filling in for Allen Craig and could probably start for 20 out of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball. Adams drove the dagger into Jolly Roger and ended the magical run for Pittsburgh. 

Pittsburgh will be back soon. They might have homefield advantage at some point, but right now, they should keep their heads held high. Pittsburgh finally broke the long playoff drought and now the pressure is not there to get back again. Their fans will show up next year and it will be great to see PNC filled on a daily basis. Baseball is back in Pittsburgh.

As for the series between St. Louis and Los Angeles, it could be a classic. They both have major starters along with big time hitters. It begins Friday in St. Louis and I, for one, cannot wait to see the theatrics between these two teams.

Charlie.