2012 final series: Cardinals’ run for wild card begins with 4-2 win over the Reds
The St. Louis Cardinals entered the Major League Baseball season 2012 as the defending World Series champion. The Cardinals had clinched the title after beating the Texas Rangers. However, ups and down punctuated the race that the Cardinals were engaged
in.
They witnessed immense struggle in the first half of the season, and seemed all set to be out of the wild card race as the Pittsburgh Pirates retained the second position in the National League Central. However, things transformed remarkably in the second
half of the season when the Cardinals staged a comeback.
The finale series for the Cardinals, however, was to be played against the Cincinnati Reds, a team that had already qualified for the National League Division Series. The St. Louis Cardinals had to win it to be entitled to the Wild Card. Subsequently, a
solid foundation was laid here against the Reds.
In the first game, the Cardinals came down hard on the Cincinnati Reds, beating them by 4-2 to inch closer to the Wild Card berth. It was Jaime Garcia, the Cardinals starter, who tossed six strong innings to facilitate the team’s victory.
Pitching 6.2 innings, Garcia had six strikeouts to his credit, surrendering only two runs while Bronson Arroyo of the Reds was taken to task by the Cardinals batters, scoring three runs in his five innings, and smashing six hits.
"I knew. I'm not going to lie to you. I faced him the last couple years and I knew I was 4 for 4," Garcia said. "He's a really good pitcher and he made a mistake and I put a good swing on the ball."
With the win here, the Cardinals had by now won 11 of their last 14 games, underscoring the urgency they attached to their aspiration to make it to the playoffs, and defend the championship.
Yadier Molina and Allen Craig did their bit in the third inning as they added an RBI apiece after the Garcia had smashed a huge solo homer, giving the Cardinals 3-1 lead over the Reds. Daniel Descalso tripled to deep left to take the lead to 4-1.
Celebration was what Descalso was looking forward to; and rightly so.
"It's different with this one-game playoff looming over our heads if we get there," second baseman Daniel Descalso said. "I wouldn't expect a raucous celebration but, you know, some celebration is in order if we do clinch it."
With the lead that the Cardinals maintained, it was strong bullpen that maintained it, surrendering only a run to Ryan Hanigan in the seventh. It was then Jason Mote who had the 42nd save of the season to win the game by 4-2 for the Cardinals,
getting the team closer to wild card berth.
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