MLB 2012: NLDS begins with an unexpected, but dreaded defeat for the Cardinals – Part 3
As the St. Louis Cardinals prepared themselves for the 25th fixture in post-season games, to meet the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series, the excitement had already pervaded the atmosphere.
The Cardinals had just thrashed the Atlanta Braves by 6-3 in the Wild Card game. Here was the Nationals who were rookies in the post-season. However, their performance in Game 1 was more or less a manifestation of an experienced competitor.
With the pitching and batting favouring the Nationals, it was eventually them who prevailed. In a fiercely fought game, the Cardinals were beaten 3-2, as Gio Gonzalez limited the rivals to just three hits.
While Gonzalez was more thankful to bullpen who he thought maintained the Nationals’ lead, the offence was equally formidable.
"Not many people have probably watched too many Nationals games, but we have a great starting rotation and a great bullpen," said Ian Desmond, who singled for his third hit in the go-ahead rally. "They keep us in the ballgame and some timely hits from this kid, and the rest of the guys coming off the bench, that's really been the formula."
Tyler Moore did it in the eighth inning when he got a two-out two-run single in the eighth and led the team to the victory stand as all the gains that Adam Wainwright – the Cardinals’ starter, made in his 5.2 innings went to waste.
"I was just trying to calm myself down and try to make some things happen and not strike out up there," Moore said. "I wanted to at least put something into play."
It was Mitchell Boggs whose failure in the eighth inning brought about the team’s downfall in Game 1 with the Nationals being the ultimate victors.
However, the Cardinals had a lot to learn from the result of this game. They had to re-strategise and re-orient the defence-offence combination in the upcoming games so as to prevail over the Nationals.
The next game was to see the Cardinals being almost invincible when it came to the aggressive offence. If they had failed offensively in Game 1, Game 2 would see the Cardinals winning 12-4.
That was a win with a big margin, re-establishing the fact that the Cardinals meant business when it came to the post-season games. The best-of-five, nonetheless, would remain breathtakingly close as it progressed.
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