Why nationals playing in st louis

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Joe Ross put together another impressive outing, and the Nationals beat the Cardinals in the series finale to take 2 of 3 in Busch Stadium.

Joe Ross is up to eleven scoreless innings to start the season after he held the St. Ross vs St. Ross carried it through to his second outing of the new season today in St. Louis as well, throwing four scoreless on 65 pitches, and giving up just two hits and walk as the visitors jumped out to a lead. We did it, Joe. Wainwright gave up four of the five hits he allowed, and both of the walks he gave up in the first three innings against Milwaukee.

What a HR. Louis Cardinals pulled away from a crowded field of National League Wild Card contenders with a franchise-best game winning streak.

The streak featured sweeps of four different teams and seven come-from-behind wins, many that were driven by timely hitting, heads-up defense and stout pitching. His power surge gave the Cardinals their first season with three home run players since Veterans Adam Wainwright and Jon Lester anchored the rotation through September, reaching milestones of 2, strikeouts and wins respectively. The Cardinals pitching staff ended the final full month with a 3. The September surge could have looked a lot different without the defense, which propelled the Cardinals to 82 defensive runs saved, second-best in the majors.

A late-season series against the New York Mets produced two defensive play of the year candidates. One involved Paul Goldschmidt preventing a potential walk-off run from scoring on a double play.

The other showcased rookie Lars Nootbaar with an over-the-wall catch to rob a three-run home run. Nearly one week later, the Cardinals would turn one of their most memorable defensive plays in recent history. Goldschmidt led another double play against the Chicago Cubs, one in which the Cardinals caught two runners off guard in a second rundown. It took six fielders to complete the highlight-reel play with a unique scorecard mark of Absolute insanity.

While the Cardinals took national spotlight with the game winning streak, Los Angeles also finished the season on a remarkable note. The Dodgers were the only team with an undefeated home record in September and swept the Milwaukee Brewers in their final home series last weekend. Adam Wainwright and Max Scherzer, who are a combined 77 years and days old, go head-to-head in a postseason duel that statisticians say will be the eighth oldest among starting pitchers in terms of combined age.

Wainwright fell one start shy of the MLB lead for games started and pitched plus innings for the sixth time in his career. His 17 victories were the second-most in all of baseball, while his 3. Wainwright also reached a few personal milestone, including career strikeouts and games started with longtime battery mate Yadier Molina. According to FanGraphs , Wainwright finished with Control of the curveball could lead to efficiency and soft contact, which could prove vital against a Dodgers team that finished with the highest hard-hit contact rate.

Scherzer, pitching on the final season of a seven-year contract, delivered right around career norms until the Washington Nationals traded him to the Dodgers at deadline. Since that time, he has elevated his game to another level. Scherzer struck out 89 hitters and only issued eight walks in that stretch. Compiling a 1. The three-time Cy Young winner pitched to the tune of a 1.

Wainwright and Scherzer head into the Wild Card Game with similar splits against the foes. Wainwright owns a 2. Scherzer has a 2. Scherzer went undefeated in two starts against the Cardinals this year, one which came in April with the Nationals. Wainwright also won his only start against the Dodgers in September.

Albert Pujols, widely considered the top player in modern St. Louis Cardinals history, is preparing for his sixth career series against them as an opponent.

Louis while playing in 74 postseason games over 11 seasons with the Cardinals. Now, he takes them on for the first time in postseason. Pujols signed a league-minimum deal with the Dodgers on May 17, joining them less than a week after being released from the Angels. He took on a reduced role, but instantly became a key piece in a core of relatively young players. Two years removed from his first St.

Louis reunion tour, Pujols had another warm welcome back to Busch Stadium in September. He was treated to dozens of ovations in limited action and went deep in his first at-bat of the series. Pujols played in the final three games of the series. He has a clearer path on the postseason roster after an unfortunate injury to first baseman Max Muncy on the final day of regular season.

A ride mostly filled with nostalgia against the Cardinals takes a more serious turn. Either Pujols or his longtime team will not advance past the Wild Card Game. Li is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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