ST. LOUIS — The final time the Cardinals and Phillies confronted off within the playoffs, the yr was 2011. Because it seems, it was the final time for a few important occurrences among the many members for the subsequent decade.
Upset by the Cardinals in a five-game NL Division Sequence, together with a 1-0 traditional within the finale, the Phillies wouldn’t see the postseason once more over the subsequent 10 years. That 2011 season, one by which St. Louis went on to win the franchise’s eleventh World Sequence title, was additionally the ultimate one earlier than celebrity slugger Albert Pujols left St. Louis for Anaheim.
Now, 11 years after Chris Carpenter outdueled Roy Halladay, the Phillies are again within the postseason, Pujols is again in a uniform that options birds on a bat, and St. Louis and Philadelphia are about to collide in a collection that might pack simply as a lot of a punch because the final.
The third-seeded Cardinals, champions of the NL Central, reached the Wild Card Sequence on the facility of MVP candidates Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. But it’s the 42-year-old Pujols who has authored one of many feel-good tales of the season. He hit 18 of his 24 dwelling runs after the All-Star break to assist the Cardinals enter the playoffs as division champions for the primary time since 2019.
“There’s no approach we could possibly be on this place with out Albert going off,” Cardinals rookie supervisor Oliver Marmol mentioned. “The evolution of [Pujols’ season] was fairly cool.”
The Phillies really feel fairly assured themselves, as they are going to counter with ace Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA) and a potent lineup that features NL dwelling run king Kyle Schwarber (46 dwelling runs, 94 RBIs), reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper (18 HRs, 65 RBIs) and slugger Rhys Hoskins (30 homers, 79 RBIs). The 6-foot-4 Wheeler, who will begin Recreation 1, had his approach with the Cardinals this season, holding them with out an earned run in 14 innings pitched. General, the Phillies received the season collection, 4-2.
Briefly, the collection seemingly has all of the potential of one other Cardinals-Phillies traditional, very similar to the one the 2 groups performed 11 years earlier.
When is the sport and the way can I watch it?
First pitch is scheduled for two:07 p.m. ET/1:07 p.m. CT on Friday at Busch Stadium. The sport will air on ABC, with Alex Rodriguez serving as the colour analyst for the collection and Michael Kay dealing with play-by-play duties.
All collection can be found within the U.S. on MLB.TV with authentication to a taking part Pay TV supplier. Video games should not out there stay internationally (archives can be found roughly 90 minutes after the sport ends).
What may the beginning lineups appear like?
Phillies: Interim supervisor Rob Thomson mentioned Thursday that St. Louis native Matt Vierling will begin in heart discipline in Recreation 1, with Cardinals left-hander José Quintana on the mound. Brandon Marsh is predicted to be again within the lineup in Recreation 2, with right-hander Miles Mikolas taking the hill for St. Louis.
Cardinals: The Cardinals took off halfway by means of the season once they moved scrappy rookie Brendan Donovan and hard-hitting lefty Lars Nootbaar to the highest of the lineup. Goldschmidt slumped down the stretch, however the Cardinals are assured he’ll hit when it issues. Dylan Carlson is the Cardinals’ finest heart fielder, however he could be withheld due to his struggles hitting righties.
Who’re the beginning pitchers?
Phillies: Wheeler will get the nod to open the collection. He went 12-7 with a 2.82 ERA in 28 begins this season, lacking a month late due to tendinitis in his proper forearm. When he returned, the Phillies lined up his first begin for Sept. 21 as a result of it put him in line to pitch in Recreation 1. Wheeler allowed one run in 15 innings in three begins after getting back from the IL, putting out 15 and strolling one. He’s 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA in six profession begins in opposition to the Cardinals and 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA in 4 profession begins at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals: Marmol introduced Thursday that lefty José Quintana might be beginning Recreation 1. He was 2-1 with a razor-thin 1.18 ERA over his last seven begins of the season. One other massive promoting level for Quintana: He’s allowed only one dwelling run in 62 2/3 innings for the Cardinals.
Phillies: Left-hander Brad Hand (left elbow tendinitis) and infielder Edmundo Sosa (strained proper hamstring) are on the IL, nevertheless it seems like each might be activated earlier than Recreation 1. Hand threw a stay BP on Wednesday in Houston, which went properly. Sosa participated in stay BP on Wednesday in Philadelphia. He not feels any points in his proper hamstring when he runs, hits or fields. He was in St. Louis for Thursday’s exercise, a superb signal that he might be again.
Cardinals: Reliever Jordan Hicks returned to the lively roster on Wednesday and confirmed that his proper arm fatigue is a factor of the previous. However the information isn’t so good on outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who ended up on the IL for a 3rd time this season with a left hamstring pull on Sept. 17. The 2-time Gold Glover’s progress has been gradual, and he isn’t more likely to be prepared for the Wild Card Sequence. That loss takes away an influence bat, versatile defender and speedy runner from the Cardinals.
Who’s sizzling and who will not be?
Phillies: Schwarber is batting .533 (8-for-15) with one triple, 4 dwelling runs, seven RBIs and a 2.117 OPS in his final 5 video games. Stott is batting .409 (9-for-22) with three doubles, one dwelling run, 5 RBIs and a 1.117 OPS in his final seven video games. Segura is batting .321 (9-for-28) in his final eight video games. Harper is batting .227 with three dwelling runs, 17 RBIs and a .676 OPS in 35 video games since getting back from a damaged left thumb. Hoskins is batting .111 with a .416 OPS in his final seven video games.
Cardinals: Nobody in baseball has been as sizzling over the past two-plus months as Pujols, who hit .323, crushed 18 dwelling runs and had a 1.103 OPS after the break. One among Pujols’ most clutch dwelling runs of the season got here on July 10 in a 4-3 win over the Phillies. Goldschmidt had that position of hottest hitter on the planet for the primary 5 months of the season, however he struggled down the stretch. Following a three-hit, two-homer, five-RBI night time on Aug. 25, Goldschmidt led the NL in batting common and RBIs and trailed Schwarber by one dwelling run for the lead in that class. Nonetheless, he hit simply .229 with two dwelling runs and 10 RBIs over his final 30 video games of the season.
Anything I ought to know?
Phillies: Left-hander Ranger Suárez is scheduled to begin Recreation 3, if crucial. However for those who’ve watched the Cardinals this season, you understand they mild up lefties. So there’s a first rate likelihood that the Phillies use an opener in Recreation 3 to attempt to get by means of the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Albert Pujols.
Cardinals: Arenado posted the seventh 30-home run, 100-RBI season of his profession in 2022, and a giant chunk of his harm got here in opposition to the Phillies. He hit for the cycle for the second time in his profession on July 1 in Philadelphia, and an evening later he jump-started a barrage the place 4 Cardinals in a row (Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Carlson) homered. He clinched that win with one other dwelling run. Arenado was 10-for-22 (.455) with a double, a triple, three dwelling runs and 6 RBIs in opposition to the Phillies in six video games this season. Goldschmidt was 6-for-24 (.250) and Pujols was 4-for-13 (.308) in opposition to Philadelphia.
