Cards earn third straight trip to NLCS (MLB.com)

Chris Carpenter was shaky in the first inning. After allowing 2 runs, and with the bases loaded, Carp escaped disaster. The Cards tied it up in the bottom of the first, and their ace didn’t let up again. It was nice to see the Cardinals’ offense come alive when the mighty bat of Albert Pujols failed to produce. Pujols is 0 for 7 at Busch Stadium after going 5 for 8 in PETCO Park in San Diego. I hope the slump is short-lived and the rest of the lineup will continue to step up. Next up - the NY Mets. Hopefully, the Redbirds catch them off guard.