St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Game 3 – MLB Post Game Analysis
St. Louis Cardinals are now just 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card standings. A winning-streak here might help them defy all odds and book their berth for the postseason.
Chris Carpenter led the Cardinals to a 5-0 win over the National League powerhouse Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, September 18 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to elucidate the intentions of his team, which has struggled hard to stay
in contention throughout this season.
The win gave the Cardinals a crucial one-game advantage in the four-game series, with the last game scheduled for Monday, September 19. A series win on the road against the stalwarts will do wonders to the confidence of the Cardinals, but Albert Pujols was
quick to add that the team is taking one game at a time and complacency is not an option.
Pujols mauled Cole Hamels in the first inning, smacking a two-run home-run in the first inning to establish a two-run lead. One of the most trusted starters on the circuit, Hamels failed to impress in this game and lost his ninth start after Allen Craig
replicated Pujols’ effort in the sixth inning to extend the lead to four-runs in the sixth inning.
Cardinals’ manager Tony LaRussa agreed with Pujols and added that without thinking what Atlanta does, the team should focus on winning a string of games and at the same time should not set high goals. He said, "Common sense is if you allow anything to distract
you, then it's going to take away from your best shot."
Hamels had an average day at the mound and failed to level his career-high 15 wins after a being charged for four runs in seven innings amid seven hits. Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel did not comment on Hamel’s performance but did not stay behind in praising
the effort of Chris Carpenter, who pitched eight scoreless innings to keep the Phillies at bay.
"Their pitcher pitched well," Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel said. "He was changing speeds and had a good sinker. The double plays made it difficult to score runs."
Carpenter conceded eight hits in his spell but focussed on accuracy and variety to keep a check on the opposition batters. He struck-out five batters to complete 175 for the season, inching closer to the 200-mark with just ten games left in the season. If
the Cardinals go through to the playoffs, Carpenter will surely be a force to reckon.
Commenting on the hitting intent of the Phillies, Carpenter said, “When you're against guys who want to swing, if you make good pitches, you get early outs."
Phillies are vying hard to win four more games out of their remaining ten to set a record for most-wins by a franchise in MLB. Currently, they are 98-53 for the season and have successfully managed to establish themselves as champions in the NL East for
the fifth consecutive season.
However, going into the postseason with a series loss at home would not help the Phillies much, but they still have a game in hand to redeem themselves and split the series. With Roy Halladay scheduled to face Kyle Lohse on Monday, September 19, the Phillies
can expect to bag their 99th win of the season. However, if the Cardinals continue with their momentum, the Braves will need to watch out.
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