For the second year in a row, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros are set to play each other in the National League Championship Series. The winner will meet the American League champion, either the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or the Chicago White Sox, in the World Series.
The 2004 NLCS was a seven-game series won in dramatic fashion by St. Louis, who went on to be swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. The defeats of last season are fresh on the minds of both the Cardinals and the Astros and have both teams looking for redemption.
The defending NL champion Cards appear to be the favorites again in 2005. They were the only 100-win team in baseball in the regular season, and are fresh off of a three-game sweep in their divisional series with the San Diego Padres.
St. Louis hasn't lost a game since Sept. 28.
That loss, ironically, was to the Astros, who have been on a tear of their own lately. Houston just completed a four-game divisional series win over the Atlanta Braves, which ended in a thrilling 18-inning nail-biter won 7-6 on a home run by unlikely hero Chris Burke.
The Astros were led by a handful of heavy-hitting performances in the divisional series, and their offense has the momentum to challenge St. Louis' arms. Leadoff man Craig Biggio scored a postseason-leading six runs against Atlanta. Slugger Morgan Ensberg drove in seven runs, and Lance Berkman chipped in five RBI, including a key grand slam late in Game 4.
But if anyone in the NL has the pitching staff to silence Houston's offense, it's the Cardinals. Ace starter Chris Carpenter shut down the Padres in Game 1 of the first round, and Mark Mulder and Matt Morris did the same in the next two games. Those three pitchers, along with perhaps baseball's deepest bullpen, will attempt to keep the Astros out of the World Series.
The Astros' pitching staff will run neck-and-neck with the Cardinals, as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Roy Oswalt make a fearful trio of Houston starters. Pettitte and Oswalt were both victorious in their only starts against the Braves. Clemens, while he took the Astros' only loss, redeemed himself in Game 4, taking over in the 16th to pitch three scoreless innings and earn the win.
The Astros' staff will have its hands full with the Cardinal lineup, as MVP candidate Albert Pujols comes off of a 5-for-9 clip in the San Diego series. Reggie Sanders drove in ten runs, including six in the opening game, while Jim Edmonds and David Eckstein both contributed home runs of their own.
In last year's series, the home team won all seven games. The Cardinals opened with two wins at Busch Stadium, Houston answered with three straight at their own Minute Maid Park, and the Cardinals responded by putting the series away with two home wins, led by huge clutch performances from Pujols and Edmonds.
Both teams have been weakened since last year's series. The Astros lost star outfielder Carlos Beltran to free agency, as he was signed in the offseason by the New York Mets. Meanwhile, the Cards are missing third baseman Scott Rolen, who is sitting out the postseason with a rotator cuff injury.
These problems aside, both teams are back in the NLCS, and both are looking for a World Series berth. The Cardinals have lost their last three World Series, and remain winless in the Fall Classic since 1982. The Astros, despite their eight previous playoff appearances, have never played in the World Series, and will try to make their ninth playoff year the lucky one.
Game 1 is set for tonight at 8:05, as St. Louis hosts the matchup between Carpenter and Pettitte. Oswalt and Mulder will square off in Game 2, before the series travels to Houston for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.
