OOTP Blitz Solo: RTS meets Moneyball

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Emergency Pod Energy: Making Sense of the Cardinals and Stags at the Break

Are we sure the Cardinals and Stags are good? Like, actually good? We're doing that thing again where we're trying to convince ourselves that two teams with obvious fatal flaws can somehow figure it out in the second half. Let's break this down, Bill Simmons style.

The "Oh No, We Might Have Made a Huge Mistake" Cardinals

Here's my favorite stat: The Cardinals are 23-20 at home, 21-19 on the road. They're basically the same team everywhere! That's either impressive consistency or depressing mediocrity, depending on how many prospects you traded away for this performance. (Spoiler: They traded all of them.)

The thing nobody wants to talk about? Their run differential is actually pretty good! They're outscoring opponents by a decent margin, ranking top-3 in the NL in both ERA (3.53) and batting average (.260). This feels like one of those teams that should be better than their record, but then you look up and realize they're 14 games behind Cincinnati and you're like "wait, what?"

The Mark Wleh thing is real (2.78 ERA, 149 K in 132.2 IP). The Leuri Ramírez thing is definitely real (.336/.384/.607 with 48 extra-base hits!). But we're officially at the "Are we sure Urban Henry isn't washed?" stage of the season (4.03 ERA at age 39), and that's concerning.

The "We Had One Year to Get This Right" Stags

This might be my favorite subplot of the 2063 season. The Trust finally lets them spend money, and their rotation immediately posts a 5.81 ERA. That's not just bad - that's historically bad. It's like they ordered a rotation from Wish.com.

But here's the thing nobody's talking about: Their offense is actually incredible! They're slashing .277/.354/.457 as a team. Paul Correa is having that classic "guy who breaks out the year before his team has to trade him" season (.317/.376/.592). Even their catcher, Otis Ramírez, is raking (.299/.371/.460).

The "What Would You Do?" Game

If I'm running the Cardinals, I'm making one more push. You've already traded away your future - might as well go down swinging. They need another starter (Henry's peripherals are scary) and maybe a catcher who can hit above .207 (sorry, Chris Carter).

The Stags? This is brutal, but they have to start taking calls. The Trust's mandate means this team is getting torn down regardless - might as well maximize the return. Correa, Ramírez, and Stan Wallace could bring back actual prospects. Sometimes you have to know when to fold 'em.

The Weird "What If?" Scenarios

What if the Cardinals had just... not traded away baseball's #8 prospect? What if the Stags had spent their one year of real money on, I don't know, pitchers who can actually pitch? These are the questions that keep fans up at night.

The verdict

We're watching two teams who went all-in with very different definitions of "all." The Cardinals mortgaged the future for a wild card race. The Stags got one year to dream and turned it into a nightmare. The real winners? Cincinnati and Sacramento, who are probably wondering how they became the AL West/NL Central powerhouses while nobody was looking.

Are we sure this isn't the darkest timeline?

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Should the Orioles Consider the Unthinkable?

When the final out of the 2062 World Series settled into Dylan Madden's glove, the Baltimore Orioles looked poised for a dynasty. Fast forward to the 2063 All-Star break, and they're 41-43, sitting 4 games back in a suddenly combustible AL East that features the surprising Red Sox and Marlins atop the division.

The easy narrative would be to chalk this up to a championship hangover. But the underlying metrics suggest something more concerning: this might be who the 2063 Orioles actually are.

The Warning Signs
- Run differential suggests they're playing to their record
- Rotation ERA has risen from 3.45 (1st in AL) to 3.99 (3rd)
- Team OPS down 42 points from 2062
- Only Jesús Dávilos (13-2, 2.36 ERA) performing at 2062 levels

The Farm System Opportunity
Here's where it gets interesting. Despite going all-in for their 2062 title run, the Orioles still possess baseball's 8th-ranked farm system. This creates a fascinating strategic opportunity that most defending champions don't have: they could actually sell high on certain pieces and potentially extend their competitive window rather than watching it close.

Trade Candidates With Value
- Spencer Van Doren (.291/.351/.500, 11 HR)
- Buster Moreno (.317, 18 HR, 50 RBI)
- Rod Pitkin (8-6, 4.11 ERA)

The Case for Retooling
1. AL East suddenly looks like a gauntlet
2. Farm system could become elite with right moves
3. Core pieces still young enough to build around
4. Could acquire MLB-ready talent rather than pure prospects

The Projection Systems' View
ZiPS gives the Orioles just a 24% chance of making the playoffs, down from 76% in preseason. More concerningly, their three-year projection has declined significantly since Opening Day.

The Smart Play
Rather than watching their window potentially close, the Orioles could thread the needle: sell high on certain pieces, restock the farm system, and potentially compete again as soon as 2064 with a more sustainable core built around Dávilos.

Comparables
The 2019 Red Sox faced a similar decision after their 2018 title. They chose to half-measure it and ended up worse off. The Orioles have the opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive.

The next two weeks could define the franchise's trajectory for the next half-decade. Sometimes the boldest move is being willing to take a small step back to take two steps forward.

The Verdict
If the Orioles can get premium returns for players like Van Doren and Moreno while keeping their core intact, they should strongly consider it. Their farm system strength gives them a unique opportunity to retool without rebuilding - an opportunity most defending champions never get.

Sometimes you have to be willing to make the unpopular move to make the right one.

Baseball Doesn't Care About Your Cinderella Story

This was supposed to be the Indianapolis Arrows' funeral march. Their lame-duck season before relocating to New Jersey, where some tech bro consortium led by Ethereum millionaire Devon "Web3" Watson paid $2.1 billion to move them to a yet-to-be-built stadium in Newark. Instead, they're leading the AL Central with the third-lowest payroll in baseball ($38.1M), because the sport occasionally likes to punch you in the gut while grinning.

The worst part isn't that they're good. The worst part is that Indianapolis has collectively shrugged. The Arrows are drawing fewer fans than the damn Phillies, who are actively trying to lose games. Just over a million people have bothered to show up at midseason to watch a first-place team, because why get attached to something that's already got one foot out the door?

It's 2003 Montreal Expos all over again, except MLB isn't actively sabotaging this team - reality is doing that job just fine. The new ownership group has made it clear there will be no additional spending. The deadline will come and go without reinforcements. The cruel mathematics of baseball say this team should regress, and management seems perfectly content to let that happen.

This is what happens when the sport treats its teams like NFTs to be flipped rather than civic institutions to be nurtured. The Arrows are winning despite a payroll that wouldn't cover Aaron Judge's breakfast tab. Their starting rotation, led by Avery Prescott (2.70 ERA) and Estefan Cuello (3.26 ERA), is putting up numbers that would make Sandy Koufax blush. Raymond Nadeau (.297/.373/.441) is having the kind of season that usually leads to a statue outside the ballpark. Instead, it'll probably lead to a trade to a "real" contender.

The fans aren't stupid. They know this ends with moving trucks and heartbreak. Better to keep your distance now than watch your team win just enough games to make leaving hurt more. The incoming owners talk about "market inefficiencies" and "optimization strategies" while the current team is actually winning baseball games despite having a payroll that makes the Pirates look like the Yankees.

Baseball is the only sport where success can feel like a curse. The Arrows are proving they can win with nothing, which means the new owners will probably give them exactly that when they reach Newark. The few thousand diehards still showing up to games are watching their team win while dying, like a star burning brightest just before it collapses.

Somewhere, Omar Minaya is watching this and nodding knowingly. At least MLB had the decency to kill the Expos' dreams officially. Indianapolis just has to watch their team succeed while knowing every win brings them closer to goodbye.

The Arrows open a three-game set with Detroit tomorrow. Tickets are available. Lots of them.

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I already figured out my spinoff of this dynasty, right now I'm still too invested in reporting the outcomes and no one really cares but me. So I'm going to divest from Portland after this year as I mentioned already and my new 2nd team are going to be the Yankees. Except, we'll be committed to them becoming a barnstorming team half of their home dates and I'll use their roster for all sorts of weird experiments like "what would it look like to have a roster of 40-50 OVR guys on a big league team" or "can a whole team of international players be competitive across a whole season?" Or maybe just some odd sabermetrics immersion, since I'm still not as good at referencing that stuff as i should be.

I obviously am always notorious for moving teams in my dynasties and given I'm adding a third New York team again, I felt like this was also a funny way to get myself to get through some seasons faster while also getting to try some stuff out.

I might just end this storyline at the end of the season and go straight into the Yankees storyline, but will continue to run updates of the familiar players and franchises as things advance. It'll also allow us to delve a bit into the history that's lapsed since 2023 when this league started, we've had some crazy stat eras in this universe because I hadn't really stabilized the statistics in the earlier versions of the game and so, for instance the all-time strikeouts record has been long broken and other weird things like that (though not home runs)

Anyway, there's way more to delve into in this universe, I mostly just want to futz more quickly, but managing a good team makes me less inclined to do that so I'm gonna take a bad team over and write about it, because being weird right now might be more fun, then I can god-mode all of the storyline stuff that I care about around the margins while we watch from the cheapseats from Omaha or Boise or wherever else I might make them visit.


Baseball's Death Star Goes Mobile, and Everyone's Getting Paid to Like It

The New York Yankees, baseball's most insufferably successful franchise and walking monument to pinstriped hubris, just sold for $12.8 billion to a group of people who think baseball teams should operate like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. And the worst part? They might not be entirely wrong.

Laverne Ng, the impossibly Yale-educated managing partner of Quantum Frontier Partners who probably relaxes by hostile-takeovers of family-owned bakeries, spent 47 minutes Thursday explaining why baseball's most valuable franchise should spend half its time wandering the countryside like a barnstorming circus act from the 1920s. She used terms like "experiential revenue optimization" and "globally scalable entertainment vehicle" while old-time Yankees beat writers quietly died inside.

"The Yankees aren't just a baseball team," Ng explained, somehow managing to sound both condescending and evangelical at once. "They're a premium content platform with unprecedented brand elasticity. We're simply unleashing their potential from the artificial constraints of geographical permanence."

In other words, the Yankees are about to become baseball's first touring franchise, because apparently nobody at MLB headquarters had the courage to say "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard" when someone suggests turning the sport's most valuable team into a baseball version of Phish.

The plan, as far as anyone can decode it from the PowerPoint slides filled with charts that only go up, is to split the Yankees' home games between Yankee Stadium and a series of yet-to-be-announced venues across the globe. The Stadium itself will be transformed into what Ng calls a "365-day entertainment destination," which presumably means charging $45 for craft beer while showing Yankees highlights on the jumbotron year-round.

MLB's owners approved the sale unanimously, primarily because they were all too busy counting their own potential franchise valuations after this deal. When you sell the Yankees for $12.8 billion, suddenly every owner gets to add a zero to their own franchise's theoretical worth. It's the kind of math that makes billionaires giddy.

Bryce Romney IV, Quantum's head of "Legacy Asset Transformation" and someone who definitely has strong opinions about yacht manufacturers, insisted this is the future of sports entertainment. "We're not moving the Yankees," he said, straightening his Hermès tie. "We're expanding their footprint to match their cultural significance." The fact that this footprint now includes charging $500 for premium tickets in cities to be named later is, presumably, just a happy coincidence.

The Bronx, predictably, is taking this about as well as you'd expect. Local business owners around the stadium are furious, fans are threatening to cancel season tickets they've had since Mantle played center field, and politicians are writing strongly-worded letters that will be immediately recycled by Quantum's army of lawyers.

But here's the thing that makes this whole absurd venture just crazy enough to work: The Yankees actually might be the only franchise that could pull this off. Their brand is so culturally embedded, their mystique so artificially amplified, that they might actually be more valuable as a touring act than a traditional baseball team. They're baseball's Rolling Stones – everyone wants to see them once, even if half the audience is there ironically.

"The Yankees transcend baseball," Ng insisted, probably while mentally calculating the markup on limited edition market-specific merchandise. "We're not bound by convention. We're creating a new paradigm for sports entertainment."

The saddest part? She's probably right. In a world where teams routinely blackmail cities for stadium funding and treat fans like walking credit cards, turning baseball's most famous franchise into a touring roadshow isn't even the most cynical thing to happen to baseball this decade. It might not even be the most cynical thing to happen this week.

When asked about concerns that this plan fundamentally alters the nature of what a baseball team means to its community, Romney offered the kind of response that only someone who summers in the Hamptons could deliver with a straight face: "We're not altering tradition. We're amplifying it. The Yankees belong to the world now."

The Yankees will begin their transformation in 2064, and god help us all, because if this works, every private equity firm with a Bloomberg terminal and a PowerPoint license is going to start eyeing other franchises. Baseball teams as touring acts. What's next – timeshare ballparks? Pay-per-view batting practice?

Actually, don't answer that. Someone at Quantum Frontier is probably already working on the pitch deck.

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BRONX BOMBERS GO BARNSTORMING: Yanks' $12.8B Sale Plots Wild 2064 Tour

STADIUM STUNNER: PINSTRIPES HIT THE ROAD

The ghost of Miller Huggins must be spinning in his grave.

In a jaw-dropping $12.8 billion deal that makes cryptocurrency look stable, the Yankees were sold to Quantum Frontier Partners yesterday, with plans to turn baseball's marquee franchise into baseball's first touring road show. And if you think that's crazy, wait till you hear where they're playing.

"The post-antitrust era demands innovation," declared Laverne Ng, the Stanford-polished managing partner of Quantum, speaking from a Stadium suite that costs more than your house. "Baseball's territorial restrictions are relics of the past. We're writing the future."

TOUR DE FARCE?

The 2064 "Yankees Worldwide Tour" reads like a geography exam written by a baseball executive having a fever dream. The schedule includes stops in:

- Omaha (Because nothing says Yankees baseball like corn fields)
- Minneapolis (Still bitter about losing the Twins to Charlotte)
- Indianapolis (Last stop before the Arrows fly to Jersey)
- Boise (Former home of the two-time champion Spuds, who've moved more times than your cousin who can't hold a job)
- Oakland (Where the A's are just a distant memory)
- Louisville (One-year wonder)

- London's Lord's Cricket Ground (Tea and crumpets with your hot dogs, guv'nor?)

"Each city represents a unique chapter in modern baseball's evolution," Romney explained, definitely not pointing out that most of these places are baseball's equivalent of abandoned movie theaters.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Thank (or blame) the Supreme Court's landmark 2059 decision in "Martinez v. MLB" that finally killed baseball's antitrust exemption. Since then, franchises have been playing musical chairs faster than prospects getting traded at the deadline.

Just ask Boise fans, who went from celebrating two World Series titles to watching their beloved Spuds bounce to Louisville, then San Antonio, before finally landing in OKC. Or check with Minneapolis, still nursing its wounds after the Twins packed up for Charlotte faster than you can say "ya sure, you betcha."

MONEY TALKS

Baseball Commissioner K. Hansen Antonetti (no relation to the case that blew up the old system) called the deal "a natural evolution of baseball's territorial flexibility." That's corporate speak for "someone's about to make it rain."

The plan calls for maintaining just 41 games in the Bronx, with the rest scattered across what Quantum calls "emerging and legacy markets." Because nothing says "legacy market" like Boise, Idaho.

BY THE NUMBERS

- $12.8B: Sale price (more than some countries' GDP)
- 7: Cities on the inaugural tour
- 41: Games staying in the Bronx
- 40: Games on the "Premium Market Tour"
- 2: World Series titles won by the now-extinct Boise Spuds
- ∞: Number of fans saying "Back in my day..."

BOTTOM LINE

Twenty years after the A's became baseball's first modern casualty, the sport has transformed into something Babe Ruth wouldn't recognize unless he was really, really squinting. Teams hop cities like kids playing hopscotch, the antitrust exemption is as dead as the spitball, and now baseball's most storied franchise is going on tour like they're opening for Taylor Swift's granddaughter.

But here's the real kicker – in this brave new baseball world, it actually makes a twisted kind of sense. Since Martinez v. MLB opened the floodgates, we've seen two-time champs play in three different cities in as many years (looking at you, Spuds), the Twins trade Minnesota nice for Carolina BBQ, and now the Yankees are about to play home games at a cricket ground.

WHAT'S NEXT?
- Detailed tour schedule (once MLB figures out how time zones work)
- Stadium modification plans for seven different ballparks
- Souvenir jerseys in more varieties than Baskin-Robbins has flavors
- More moving vans than a college dorm in September

One veteran baseball exec, speaking on condition of anonymity because he's not insane, summed it up: "First the Spuds win it all twice and bounce around like a pinball, now the Yankees are going on tour. I'm starting to think that 2059 Supreme Court decision might have had some unintended consequences."

Ya think?

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Paint or Get Off the Canvas: Why the 2063 Cardinals Can't Afford to Wait

Remember how 2063 started? The fresh paint was barely dry on what looked like a masterpiece in the making. Mark Wleh and Urban Henry were going to anchor a rotation that would dominate the league. The front office had their brushes out all winter, making the subtle touches that turn good teams into great ones. We were all thinking about October before Opening Day.

Funny how baseball humbles you.

Now here we sit, deadline bearing down like an 0-2 fastball, and the Cardinals are scrapping for a wild card spot in the unforgiving Ladder system. The masterpiece? It's looking more like a paint-by-numbers kit with missing colors.

Let's be clear about what we're watching: Leuri Ramírez is putting up MVP numbers (.330 AVG, .573 SLG) that would make Stan Musial nod in approval. Pinwheel Brown and Archer Fernández are doing their parts. Wleh has been nothing short of brilliant (13-9, 2.48 ERA), making hitters look foolish with the kind of consistency that makes you think of Gibson.

But it's not enough. Not when you're fighting for your playoff life. Not when last year's Game 9 loss in the World Series still stings like a hangover that won't quit.

The front office is doing what front offices do – weighing options, counting costs, thinking about tomorrow. It's admirable, in a way, like a chess player thinking six moves ahead. But this isn't chess. This is baseball, and flags fly forever.

Yes, the bullpen has moments. Everett Morrow and Micah Sheehy can lock it down when everything clicks. But "when everything clicks" isn't a strategy – it's a prayer. And prayers don't win pennants.

The outfield needs depth. The lineup needs another big bat to protect Ramírez. Sandy Cook and Jon Gallegos are fine players, but "fine" doesn't get you through the gauntlet of the Ladder playoffs. Ask the 2062 team about that.

Here's what the front office needs to understand: The 2006 Cardinals didn't win by playing it safe. The 2011 team – our last taste of championship champagne – didn't get there by being prudent. They got there by seizing their moment.

This is our moment.

The trade market has options. The international circuits are buzzing with talent. The Cuban Winter League, the emerging powerhouses in Africa, the Australian summer league wrapping up – there's talent out there if you're willing to be bold enough to grab it.

To the front office: Stop painting in watercolors when the moment calls for oils. Stop thinking about 2064 when 2063 is right here, begging for attention. The fans who pack Busch Stadium aren't interested in five-year plans. They want October glory, and they want it now.

Wleh isn't going to keep dealing forever. Ramírez isn't going to hit .330 until he's 40. Urban Henry (12-6, 4.17 ERA) and Bob Chávez (7-6, 5.00 ERA) are what they are – good pitchers who need help.

The deadline is coming. The talent is out there. The moment is here.

Paint the masterpiece, or get out of the studio.

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2063 STANDINGS AS OF JULY 29, 2063

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Eastern Division 	W 	L 	PCT 	GB
Boston Red Sox 		67 	53 	.558 	-
Carolina Twins 		65 	55 	.542 	2.0
Miami Marlins 		61 	57 	.517 	5.0
Toronto Blue Jays 	61 	57 	.517 	5.0
Baltimore Orioles 	58 	60 	.492 	8.0
New York Yankees 	43 	75 	.364 	23.0

Central Division 	W 	L 	PCT 	GB
Nashville White Sox 	67 	51 	.568 	-
Cleveland Guardians 	64 	54 	.542 	3.0
Indianapolis Arrows 	59 	61 	.492 	9.0
Kansas City Monarchs 	55 	63 	.466 	12.0
Detroit Tigers 		51 	69 	.425 	17.0
Milwaukee Brewers 	50 	68 	.424 	17.0

Western Division 	W 	L 	PCT 	GB
Sacramento Solons 	78 	40 	.661 	-
Texas Rangers 		65 	55 	.542 	14.0
Portland Stags 		57 	61 	.483 	21.0
Albuquerque Coyotes 	56 	62 	.475 	22.0
Seattle Mariners 	57 	63 	.475 	22.0
San Diego Padres 	54 	64 	.458 	24.0

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Eastern Division 	W 	L 	PCT 	GB
Washington Grays 	71 	47 	.602 	-
New York Mets 		66 	52 	.559 	5.0
Tampa Bay Giants 	62 	56 	.525 	9.0
Montreal Expos 		56 	62 	.475 	15.0
Atlanta Braves 		45 	73 	.381 	26.0
Philadelphia Phillies 	43 	75 	.364 	28.0

Central Division 	W 	L 	PCT 	GB
Cincinnati Reds 	79 	39 	.669 	-
St. Louis Cardinals 	65 	53 	.551 	14.0
Chicago Cubs 		64 	54 	.542 	15.0
Oklahoma City 89ers 	55 	63 	.466 	24.0
New Orleans Pirates 	53 	65 	.449 	26.0
Houston Astros 		52 	66 	.441 	27.0

Western Division 	W 	L 	PCT 	GB
Colorado Rockies 	71 	49 	.592 	-
Arizona Diamondbacks 	60 	58 	.508 	10.0
Los Angeles Dodgers 	59 	61 	.492 	12.0
San Francisco Seals 	57 	61 	.483 	13.0
Vancouver Angels 	56 	62 	.475 	14.0
Salt Lake Bees	 	50 	68 	.424 	20.0

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How an Icelandic Arm Might Save the Cardinals' Season

Sometimes the best stories in baseball come from the most unlikely places. Like, say, Reykjavik.

While everyone was focused on the Cardinals' deadline dealing – the River Wang acquisition, the Saul Friedman veteran grab – the most intriguing move might have been the one that raised the most eyebrows: signing 23-year-old Virgill Haraldsson out of the Dutch leagues.

Yes, you read that right. Iceland by way of the Netherlands.

In an era where teams are scouring Cuba, Nigeria, and the Australian summer leagues for talent, the Cardinals found their secret weapon throwing in a country better known for soccer and speed skating. But here's the thing: it's working.

Since joining St. Louis, Haraldsson has posted a 3.78 ERA across 47.2 innings, striking out 27 while walking only 9. The Nordic newcomer has shown the kind of poise you don't expect from someone whose career path reads like a geography final: Tucson to Baltimore to Iceland's European Baseball Championship squad and then to the Dutch leagues.

Compare this to Portland's deadline approach – swapping minor leaguers like baseball cards and picking up Eli Russell from Miami's scrap heap – and you see why the Cardinals' front office deserves credit. While other teams were working the phones for the usual suspects, St. Louis was watching grainy footage of Dutch league games, betting that talent can come from anywhere.

Haraldsson's journey – from the Federal League to the European Championships to the heat of a pennant race – is the kind of story that makes baseball special. He's not just surviving; he's thriving. His last outing against Salt Lake showcased a pitcher who belongs, European pedigree and all.

The lesson here isn't just about Haraldsson. It's about imagination. While Portland played it safe and somehow stayed in the race through sheer stubbornness, the Cardinals got creative. They looked where others wouldn't, found talent where others didn't think to look.

In a season where the Cardinals needed everything to break right to catch Cincinnati, maybe their best break came from a country known more for its northern lights than its baseball highlights. Baseball's next frontier might not be where we expect it to be.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to learn how to pronounce "Reykjavik" correctly before my next radio hit.

Left For Dead at the All-Star Break, Portland's Making The Impossible Look Routine... Again

If you'd told anyone in mid-July that we'd be talking about the Portland Stags and the playoffs in the same breath come September, they'd have assumed you were hitting the microbreweries a bit too hard. They were meandering through a mediocre season, the defending American League champions looking nothing like the squad that rode Rocky Smith's miracle complete game to the ALCS last October.

Then they did something truly radical: absolutely nothing.

Well, almost nothing. While contenders were wheeling and dealing, the Stags' biggest moves were shipping Layton Willingham back to St. Louis for prospects and picking up Eli Russell from Miami's bargain bin. The kind of moves that make fans check if their season tickets are refundable.

And yet here we are. The Stags are 77-70, firmly in the Ladder playoff hunt, playing the kind of resilient baseball that made them last year's darlings. They're seven games over .500 since the break, climbing back into relevance with all the subtlety of a cat burglar wearing tap shoes.

How? That's the beautiful part. They didn't do it with splashy acquisitions or desperate trades. They did it by trusting the same core that got them here last year. By believing that sometimes the best move is no move at all.

The rotation, patched together with duct tape and dreams after Willingham's departure, has somehow held together. Emil Briones came off the IL looking like a new man. Troy Charter, called up from Triple-A Eugene with zero fanfare, has been throwing like someone who took personal offense at not being on prospect lists.

Meanwhile, teams that loaded up at the deadline are watching the Stags in their rearview mirror, getting closer by the day. Sacramento's got a lock on the division at 94-53, but in the wild Ladder format, all you need is a chance. Portland proved that last year.

"We've been here before," said manager Xavier Thompson, master of understatement. "These guys know what it takes. Sometimes chemistry isn't about adding ingredients – it's about letting what you have simmer."

That simmer is now a full boil. The Stags aren't just hanging around; they're playing their best baseball when it matters most. The same stadium that hosted last year's ALCS might get another taste of October baseball, and they did it their way – by standing pat when everyone expected panic.

It's a lesson in patience in a sport that increasingly has none. While teams like St. Louis were scouring Dutch leagues for arms (credit where it's due – that Icelandic kid can deal) and throwing prospects at every available veteran, Portland doubled down on what got them here.

Is it sustainable? Who knows. But they said the same thing last year when Portland entered the Ladder playoffs as underdogs. All they did then was make history as the first wild card team to navigate four rounds.

The schedule isn't kind – they've still got six against Sacramento and that crucial series with Texas looming. But the Stags have made a habit of doing things the hard way. Why stop now?

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make. Sometimes faith in what you've built pays off more than a deadline shopping spree. And sometimes, just sometimes, being left for dead at the All-Star break is exactly where you want to be.

Baseball's funny that way.

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September's Gauntlet: Analyzing the Final Stretch for Two Contenders

With one month left in the regular season, let's break down the remaining schedules for both the Portland Stags and St. Louis Cardinals as they push for Ladder playoff positions.

Portland Stags (77-70)
Remaining Schedule Breakdown:
- 4 vs San Diego (66-83)
- 3 at Baltimore (74-75)
- 2 vs New York Yankees (57-90)
- 4 at Texas (80-67)
- 3 vs Sacramento (94-53)

Strength of Schedule Analysis:
The Stags' path is fascinating. They open with four against the struggling Padres, which could be crucial for building momentum. However, the meat of their schedule is brutal: that four-game set in Texas (Sept 10-13) could effectively decide their wild card fate, as the Rangers are one of their primary competitors for a Ladder spot.

The three-game series against Sacramento (Sept 14-16) looms large, but the Solons may have the division wrapped up by then and could be resting players. The schedule makers did Portland a favor by giving them the Yankees in the middle of this stretch – those two games against the AL East cellar-dwellers could be vital breathing room.

St. Louis Cardinals (84-63)
Remaining Schedule Breakdown:
- 2 at Salt Lake (66-81)
- 3 vs Atlanta (62-85)
- 4 vs Oklahoma City (67-80)
- 4 vs New Orleans (61-86)
- 3 at Cincinnati (97-52)

Strength of Schedule Analysis:
If you're the Cardinals, you're looking at this September schedule and trying not to smile too obviously. Outside of those three games against the division-leading Reds, St. Louis faces nobody with a winning record. The four-game sets against both Oklahoma City and New Orleans should be particularly advantageous – those teams are a combined 56 games under .500.

Playoff Implications:
The Cardinals, currently holding the first NL wild card spot (+3 over Nashville), have a clear path to securing their Ladder position. Their schedule difficulty is bottom-tier until that final Cincinnati series, which might not even matter for seeding purposes.

Portland has the tougher road, but they've been here before. Last year's historic run through the Ladder playoffs started from an even more precarious position. The key stretch will be September 10-16: seven games against Texas and Sacramento that could either cement their comeback story or end it.

Key Factors:
- Portland's head-to-head with Texas could swing the AL wild card race by 4+ games
- St. Louis has 13 straight games against sub-.500 teams before facing Cincinnati
- Both teams finish their scheduled games by September 16th, leaving potential makeup dates or tiebreakers

Projected Finish:
- Cardinals: 92-70 (8-7 in remaining games)
- Stags: 84-78 (7-8 in remaining games)

The Cardinals should cruise into the Ladder playoffs barring a complete collapse. For Portland, it likely comes down to that Texas series – win 3 of 4 there, and the miracle run continues. Split or lose it, and last year's ALCS appearance might be their last taste of October for a while.

Remember though: We said the same thing about Portland's chances last September, and all they did was make history.

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The Trade That Keeps On Giving: Rangers' Path Back to Postseason Built on Bold Moves

ARLINGTON - Sometimes the best trades are the ones that hurt the most at first. Just ask the Texas Rangers, who in November 2061 shipped their ace Mark Wleh to St. Louis in a blockbuster deal that had the fanbase reaching for the Tums. Less than two years later, as Texas (90-72) prepares for their first postseason appearance since 2061, that trade – and its ripple effects – look like the foundation of a renaissance.

"You never want to trade a pitcher like Mark," says Rangers GM Bill Howard, watching batting practice before a crucial September game. "But sometimes you have to take two steps back to move forward."

Those steps back included not just the Wleh trade, which brought in a package including Spencer Van Doren, but the subsequent flip of Van Doren to Baltimore that netted Jay Taylor. Taylor has been a revelation in right field, hitting .311/.353/.463 with 20 home runs.

The Rangers didn't just rebuild – they reloaded. The rotation, led by Troy Burgess (18-7, 3.55 ERA) and Ulisseo Delgado (9-16, 4.72 ERA), has been steady if unspectacular. But it's the offense that's carried them back to relevance.

Wally Frey (.293/.362/.469, 24 HR, 101 RBI) has emerged as an All-Star caliber third baseman. Salvador Almazan (.299/.372/.445) has provided Gold Glove defense at shortstop while setting career highs across the board. And Kyle Hoffman (.302/.380/.467) has given the lineup the left-handed thunder it desperately needed.

"We knew we had talent," says manager Jack Reynolds. "It was just about finding the right mix."

The bullpen, anchored by Bernard Carter (2.43 ERA, 81 K in 63 innings) has been arguably the team's biggest strength. They're 61-12 when leading after six innings.

Two years ago, watching Wleh head to St. Louis felt like watching the future walk out the door. Instead, it opened a window that Texas has deftly climbed through. Now they're back in the Ladder playoffs, where anything can happen.

"Mark's doing great things in St. Louis," Howard says, nodding at the scoreboard showing the Cardinals' own playoff position. "But I'd say this worked out pretty well for everyone."

As Texas prepares for their first playoff game next week, it's hard to argue with that assessment. Sometimes the best trades really are the ones that hurt the most – at first.

Brandon Parker covers the Rangers for the Dallas Morning News. He can be reached at bparker@dallasnews.com

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ST. LOUIS - Second Half Shows Cards' True Colors As Wleh, Ramírez Lead Charge to Postseason

The calendar said July 15th when the Cardinals trudged into the All-Star break looking nothing like a team that had pushed Baltimore to nine games in last year's World Series. At 44-39, they were treading water in a division the Reds were threatening to run away with.

Then something clicked.

"Baseball's funny that way," says skipper Wookie Rogers, leaning back in his office chair at Busch Stadium. "Sometimes you just need to let a team find itself."

What the Cardinals found was their stride. Since the break, the Redbirds have posted a scalding 50-29 mark, matched only by Toronto's surge in the Junior Circuit. Leading the charge has been Mark Wleh (20-10, 2.33 ERA), whose acquisition from Texas two years ago is looking more pivotal with each dominant start.

"Mark's been everything we hoped for and then some," says pitching coach Tommy Wilson. "When he takes the ball, you can feel the confidence in our dugout."

But it's been more than just Wleh. The midseason additions of River Wang and Icelandic sensation Virgill Haraldsson solidified a rotation that needed depth. The bullpen, anchored by Logan Cash (1.31 ERA in 41.1 innings) and veteran Saul Friedman (2.78 ERA), has been lights out in the late innings.

At the plate, Leuri Ramírez has put together an MVP-caliber campaign (.333/.397/.596, 27 HR, 129 RBI). The speedy Pinwheel Brown (69 steals) and Spencer Van Doren (.281, 27 HR) have given the lineup the kind of balance it lacked early.

"This team reminds me of our '85 club," says longtime Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon. "They just keep coming at you, different hero every night."

Tomorrow's wild card matchup against either the Mets or Cubs kicks off what the Cardinals hope will be another deep October run. With the new Ladder format, they'll need to win four rounds to reach the Fall Classic again.

"Last year taught us what it takes," says first baseman Archer Fernández (.286, 105 RBI). "That Game 9 loss in Baltimore still stings. But maybe that's what we needed."

The Cardinals have been here before - 11 World Championships and counting. But it's been 52 years since the last one, a drought that feels particularly long in a city that measures success in rings.

"These fans deserve another parade," Martinez says, glancing at the championship flags flying beyond center field. "And this team? They just might be the ones to give it to them."

- By Dan O'Neill
SPORTING NEWS

CARDINAL NOTES: St. Louis is 37-19 in one-run games... Urban Henry (14-10) has pitched better than his 4.27 ERA indicates... The Cards are 61-12 when scoring first... Jon Gallegos (.282, 24 SB) has solidified the leadoff spot... The team's 50 post-break wins included a 13-game winning streak in August.

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Ancient Rivals Meet Again: Cubs, Cards Put 162 Games On The Line

ST. LOUIS - The old saying goes that you can throw out the records when these teams meet. Tonight at Busch Stadium, they literally will.

After 162 games, after the Cubs' triumph over the Mets in the first round of the National League Ladder playoffs, baseball's oldest rivalry adds another chapter. One game. Winner heads to Washington. Loser goes home.

Mark Wleh (20-10, 2.33 ERA) takes the ball for St. Louis against Chicago's Paul Graef (14-10, 3.04 ERA) in a matchup that has old-timers reminiscing about Gibson vs. Jenkins.

"These teams know each other like brothers know each other," says Cardinals manager Chuck Martinez. "Seven and seven head-to-head this year. Couldn't script it better."

The Cardinals and Cubs split their 14 regular season meetings, each club going 4-3 in the other's park. But St. Louis' scorching second half (50-29 post All-Star break) earned them home field for this winner-take-all showdown.

"That crowd's going to be something else," says Cubs skipper Joe Maddon IV, whose grandfather managed some classics in this rivalry. "But our guys have been playing elimination games for a week now. We're battle-tested."

The matchups are fascinating. Cardinals' MVP candidate Leuri Ramírez (.275, 2 HR vs Chicago) has struggled against Cubs pitching, while Chicago's Melvin Garza (.391 vs STL) seems to save his best for the birds on the bat.

Both teams come in hot - St. Louis winning 8 of their last 10, Chicago fresh off eliminating New York. The Cardinals' potent offense (769 runs, 2nd in NL) faces a Cubs staff that allowed the second-fewest runs in the league.

"Going to come down to who blinks first," says Cardinals first baseman Archer Fernández (.315 vs Chicago). "One play, one pitch could be the difference."

The winner gets Washington in the Division Series, but nobody's thinking that far ahead. Not with 52 years of rivalry, pennant races, and October heartbreak hanging in the crisp autumn air.

"Cubs-Cardinals in October," Martinez says, shaking his head. "Doesn't get any better than this."

CARDINALS NOTES: St. Louis is 50-31 at home... Wleh is 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA vs Chicago this year... Pinwheel Brown (.309 vs Cubs) has been a particular thorn in Chicago's side... The Cardinals' bullpen posted a 2.89 ERA in September... This is the first postseason meeting between these teams since the old Division Series format in 2015.

CUBS NOTES: Chicago is seeking their first World Series title since 2016... Noé García leads the team with 5 HR vs St. Louis this season... Cubs are 19-11 in one-run games on the road... Graef has never started a playoff game... Chicago's defense led the NL in efficiency.

By Bob Hummel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

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Unlikely Hero Shuts Down Cubs as Cardinals Roll Into Washington Series

ST. LOUIS - Baseball has a way of choosing its heroes. On a crisp September evening at Sportsman's Park, with 52 years of championship drought hanging in the balance, Cardinals manager Wookie Rogers didn't turn to Mark Wleh or Urban Henry. He handed the ball to Taner Peterson.

All he did was throw the game of his life.

Peterson's masterful complete-game shutout, backed by a relentless offense, propelled St. Louis to an 8-0 victory over the Cubs in the National League Wild Card game. The win sends the Cardinals to Washington for the Division Series, while Chicago heads home wondering what hit them.

"Some nights, you just know," said catcher Yun-Seong Jeon, who contributed an RBI double. "Taner had everything working. The Cubs never had a chance."

Peterson needed just 113 pitches to craft his gem, scattering six hits while walking none and striking out two. The efficiency was stunning - 72 strikes in 113 pitches, inducing weak contact all night as 23 of 27 outs came via ground balls or fly balls.

The offense made sure Peterson's brilliance wouldn't go to waste. Alexis Walker set the tone with a 4-for-5 performance that included a triple and two stolen bases. Pinwheel Brown drove in three runs, while Archer Fernández and Sandy Cook each delivered crucial doubles.

The game turned decisively in the third inning. Leading 1-0, St. Louis erupted for four runs, highlighted by Walker's triple and Fernández's two-run double that chased Cubs starter Paul Graef. Three more runs in the sixth put the game out of reach, turning the final innings into a coronation.

"This team's been through a lot," said Rogers, who's been pushing all the right buttons during the Cardinals' second-half surge. "Last year's World Series loss, the slow start this year. But nights like this make you believe."

For Chicago, it was a bitter end to a season that saw them fight through the first round of the Ladder playoffs. Desi Quinones had two hits including a double, but the Cubs couldn't string anything together against Peterson's precision.

The Cardinals now head to Washington for Saturday's Division Series opener, their dreams of ending the 52-year championship drought very much alive.

CARDINAL NOTES: The shutout was St. Louis's first in postseason play since 2056... Walker's four hits tied a franchise postseason record... The Cardinals turned two double plays behind Peterson... The team improved to 51-31 at home this season... Brown's three RBIs gave him 70 for the year... Rogers improved his postseason record to 12-8 with the victory.

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Kraker Quiets Cardinal Bats as Washington Takes Game 1

WASHINGTON - The ghosts of Walter Johnson were smiling at Gibson Stadium Saturday night. So was Tony Kraker.

The Washington right-hander stifled the Cardinals for seven masterful innings, leading the Grays to a 5-1 victory in Game 1 of the National League Elimination Series. The win puts St. Louis in the precarious position of needing to win two straight to advance.

Cardinals ace Mark Wleh (0-1), so dominant during the team's second-half surge, found himself in trouble early. Washington's Julio Viramontes delivered a two-run double in the first inning, and Fozzie Fazenbaker added another run-scoring double in a two-run third that pushed the lead to 4-0.

"Mark wasn't as sharp as we're used to seeing," said Cardinals manager Wookie Rogers. "But give Washington credit - they had a plan and executed it perfectly."

Wleh battled through eight innings, striking out seven, but two wild pitches and an uncharacteristic error by first baseman Archer Fernández didn't help his cause. The Cardinals' defense, usually reliable, picked a bad night to show cracks.

The St. Louis offense, so potent in Wednesday's Wild Card win over Chicago, couldn't solve Kraker. Alexis Walker managed another stolen base and Pinwheel Brown doubled, but the Cardinals stranded 10 runners, going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

"We had our chances," said Brown. "But Kraker made pitches when he had to. Sometimes you have to tip your cap."

Washington's Yuki Yokochi set the tone from the leadoff spot, reaching base three times and stealing a base. The Grays played classic National League baseball - taking extra bases, moving runners over, and capitalizing on mistakes.

The series continues Sunday night with Urban Henry taking the mound for St. Louis in what amounts to a must-win game. For Rogers and his Cardinals, the 52-year championship drought now faces its stiffest test yet.

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Dominican Lefty, Extra-Inning Magic Keep St. Louis Alive in Nation's Capital

By Thomas Boswell III
Washington Post Staff Writer

The problem with ghosts is they don't always cooperate. On a night when 31,693 packed Gibson Stadium hoping to see Washington clinch its first playoff series since returning to the District, the Cardinals reminded everyone why they were in the World Series last October.

Behind Victor Santoyo's masterful eight innings and a 10th-inning rally, St. Louis forced a decisive Game 3 with a gutsy 3-2 victory over the Grays. The Dominican-born lefty, making just his sixth start of the season, delivered the kind of performance that turns playoff series.

"Sometimes baseball chooses unlikely heroes," said Grays manager Calvin Robinson. "Tonight, it chose their guy."

Santoyo scattered five hits over eight innings, his only real mistake a seventh-inning fastball that Fozzie Fazenbaker deposited into the right field seats to tie the game at 2-2. But even that couldn't derail what might have been the most important start of his career.

The Cardinals struck first when Irv Daniels (3-for-4, triple, double) continued his torrid series in the opening frame. Washington answered immediately on Fazenbaker's RBI single, setting up what would become a classic October pitchers' duel between Santoyo and James Whaley.

St. Louis had chances - oh, did they have chances. They stranded 12 runners, hit into two double plays, and even had Leuri Ramírez thrown out at home on a brilliant throw from Yuki Yokochi in left field. But in the 10th, they finally broke through.

Ramírez, who earlier had tripled, led off with a double against Dylan Powers. After an intentional walk to Daniels (replaced by pinch-runner Kion Mansour), Spencer Van Doren delivered the go-ahead single that silenced the crowd.

Urban Henry, normally a starter, worked two perfect innings for the win. The veteran right-hander needed just 20 pitches to send the series to Monday's winner-take-all Game 3.

"This team's got more lives than a cat," said Cardinals manager Wookie Rogers. "But we've got one more hill to climb."

For Washington, it was a bitter reminder of how cruel October baseball can be. Whaley deserved better, working seven strong innings. Fazenbaker (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) continued his assault on Cardinals pitching. But the Grays' offense, so potent in Game 1, managed just five hits.

Tomorrow night, these teams will play for a trip to the Division Series. The Grays will send Kenny Marshall to the mound. St. Louis hasn't announced their starter.

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Cook's Homer, Willingham's Redemption Send St. Louis Through in Nation's Capital

By Thomas Boswell III
Washington Post Staff Writer

Layton Willingham stood in the visitors' clubhouse at Gibson Stadium, champagne dripping from his graying beard, and smiled. "Full circle," said the 35-year-old lefty, who helped Portland to the ALCS last year before returning to St. Louis. Tonight, his seven gutsy innings helped the Cardinals survive a 6-4 thriller over Washington to advance to the Division Series against Colorado.

The Grays didn't go quietly. Júlio Viramontes' two-run homer in the ninth off Urban Henry sent shockwaves through the visiting dugout, but the Cardinals' 6-2 lead proved just enough cushion.

Series MVP Sandy Cook delivered the biggest blow, a two-run homer in the eighth that looked like insurance but proved to be the difference. The shortstop finished the series batting .438 with six RBI, none bigger than his blast off Jorge Valentin.

"Sandy's been our rock all year," said Cardinals manager Wookie Rogers. "When we needed a big hit, he delivered."

The pivotal sixth inning saw St. Louis break a 1-1 tie with three runs, highlighted by Yun-Seong Jeon's bases-loaded double. The rally started innocently enough with singles by Archer Fernández and Pinwheel Brown, but Valentin's control abandoned him at the worst possible moment.

For Washington, it was a bitter end to a promising season. Viramontes went 4-for-5 with three RBI in a heroic final effort, and Yuki Yokochi added two more hits to cap an outstanding series (.417). But the Grays' inability to deliver the big hit - they stranded nine runners - proved costly.

"This one will sting for a while," said Robinson, watching the Cardinals celebrate on his field. "But I'm proud of how we fought until the last out."

The Cardinals now head to Colorado for Thursday's Division Series opener, their dreams of ending a 52-year championship drought still alive. The Rockies won the season series 4-3, but October has a way of writing its own scripts.

"Nobody gave us much chance after Cincinnati ran away with the division," said Rogers. "But here we are, still standing. These guys just don't quit."

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The Art of Excess: St. Louis's Unconventional Path to Postseason Dominance

By Joe Strauss
The Athletic

When the Cardinals trudged off the field after last October's World Series loss to Baltimore, the blueprint for 2063 was already forming in Wookie Rogers' mind. The problem wasn't talent – it was depth.

"Those late innings killed us," says a Cardinals front office executive who requested anonymity to discuss internal strategy. "We'd get six strong from our starter, but bridging to the ninth was like walking a tightrope."

The solution? Flood the zone with starting pitchers.

Over the past nine months, St. Louis has systematically accumulated arms that blur the line between starter and reliever. The results were on full display in their NLDS sweep of Colorado, where the Cardinals showcased their embarrassment of pitching riches:

- Saul Friedman, acquired from the Mets, transitioned seamlessly to relief
- River Wang, plucked from Vancouver, brings starter's stamina to middle relief
- Layton Willingham, the prodigal son who spent 11 years in St. Louis before helping Portland to last year's ALCS, returned home
- Luke Legler, part of the blockbuster Asher Novak trade with Los Angeles, provides multi-inning flexibility despite missing six summer weeks
- Stewart Abdul-Salam, the former Indianapolis ace acquired at the deadline

But perhaps the most intriguing conversion has been future Hall of Famer Urban Henry. The 40-year-old St. Lucian native – owner of 10 Cy Young Awards, 2 MVPs, and 14 All-Star selections – has embraced a closer's role that would have seemed unthinkable for a pitcher of his stature.

"I always wanted to be a guy who could shut the door," says Henry, whose only World Series ring came with Texas in 2058. "So when Skip [Rogers] asked me if I was down to try this, I was pumped. The bullpen is a rockin' place."

The numbers tell the story. In the NLDS sweep, Cardinals relievers allowed just one run in 8.1 innings. More importantly, Rogers had multiple multi-inning options for every situation. When Taner Peterson needed help in Game 2, Henry was there for two perfect innings. When Mark Wleh tired in Game 3, Henry again slammed the door.

"Last year, we might have one guy who could give us length in relief," Rogers says. "Now I've got five or six. Makes my job a lot easier."

The strategy required significant investment. The Novak trade sent their top prospect to Los Angeles. Deadline deals depleted the farm system further. But for a franchise seeking its first title since 2011, the cost was worth it.

"We saw what happened last October," says the executive. "You can have the best rotation in baseball, but in modern playoffs, you need more. You need options."

As St. Louis prepares for their third straight League Championship Series, those options appear limitless. Their bullpen isn't just deep – it's starter deep. And that might make all the difference in their quest to end a 52-year championship drought.

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Statement Series Has St. Louis Dreaming, But Tougher Tests Await

By Buddy Miklasz
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The champagne was flowing at Sportsman's Park Friday night, but there was something different about this celebration. More subdued. More focused. The Cardinals have been here before – four straight League Championship Series appearances tell that story – but this team feels different.

"We're not done," said series MVP Yun-Seong Jeon (.625, 2 HR), voicing what everyone in a Cardinal uniform was thinking. "There is still a lot to accomplish."

The NLDS sweep of Colorado was clinical, almost surgical in its execution. Three games, three different formulas:
- Game 1: Taner Peterson dominates for 7 innings, Urban Henry slams the door
- Game 2: Stewart Abdul-Salam and Logan Cash combine for a 3-2 nailbiter
- Game 3: Mark Wleh carries a shutout into the eighth before Henry finishes again

"This is what we built for," says manager Wookie Rogers, whose bullpen machinations have been masterful. "Different guys, different roles, same result."

But beneath the sweep lies both promise and warning. The Cardinals managed just 19 hits across three games. Leuri Ramírez (.222) hasn't found his MVP-caliber stroke. The defense turned eight double plays, masking some offensive struggles.

"We know we can be better," says first baseman Archer Fernández. "You don't get rings for Division Series sweeps."

He would know. Last October's World Series loss to Baltimore still stings in this clubhouse. The 52-year championship drought hangs like autumn fog over the Gateway Arch. And while this team appears better equipped for October – particularly in the bullpen, where Rogers now has a surplus of former starters at his disposal – the road gets considerably harder from here.

The Cardinals' path to ending their championship drought will likely run through either Cincinnati (103 wins) or Washington (93 wins). Neither will be impressed by a sweep of a Rockies team that looked overmatched at times.

"Every series gets tougher," says Henry, the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer who's reinvented himself as a playoff closer. "That's why they call it a climb."

But there are signs this might be different than past October disappointments. The pitching staff allowed just five runs in three games at offense-friendly Mile High Stadium. Sandy Cook continues to deliver clutch hits. The defensive alignment, particularly up the middle, has been spectacular.

"We're playing complete baseball," Rogers says. "Pitching, defense, timely hitting. That travels in October."

The Cardinals will need all of it and more as the stakes raise. But for now, they can appreciate what they've accomplished while keeping their eyes on the larger prize. The champagne Friday night was just a prelude – if everything goes according to plan.

"Nice to win it," Henry says, his St. Lucian accent thick with emotion. "Better to win what comes next."

Buddy Miklasz has covered St. Louis sports for more than four decades. He can be heard weekdays on 590 The Fan.

Breaking Down the Numbers for Your NLCS Daily Fantasy and Betting Needs

After nine straight playoff appearances and two recent World Series titles (2057, 2059), the 103-win Reds host the surging Cardinals in what promises to be a fascinating NLCS matchup. Let's dive into the numbers that matter for both DFS players and bettors.

DFS Targets (Regular Season vs. Opponent)

Cardinals Hitters vs. Reds:
- Leuri Ramírez: .327/.375/.577, 5 HR in 14 games
- Sandy Cook: .375/.400/.525, 15 RBI in 14 games
- Pinwheel Brown: 8 SB in 14 games, .344 OBP

Reds Hitters vs. Cardinals:
- Matthew Curran: .321/.365/.679, 6 HR in 14 games
- Artémio Vazquez: .299/.340/.487, 12 runs in 14 games
- Chuck Fettkether: .333/.412/.567, 8 RBI in 14 games

Pitching Matchups & DFS Value

Game 1:
STL Victor Santoyo (Away splits: 3.92 ERA)
vs
CIN Landerson Valdez (Home splits: 2.85 ERA)

Game 2:
STL Taner Peterson (13-2, 2.15 ERA)
vs
CIN Inigo Montes (1.98 ERA in last 7 starts)

Game 3:
CIN Zach Bailey (2.75 ERA at home)
vs
STL Layton Willingham (3.21 ERA in September)

Key DFS Stats:
- Reds hit .338 vs LHP (best in MLB)
- Cardinals bullpen: 2.90 ERA (MLB best)
- Reds at home: 5.8 runs per game
- Cardinals on road: .265/.338/.441

FanDuel Series Prices:
Reds -145
Cardinals +125

Best Series Props:
- Over 6.5 total games (-115)
- Artémio Vazquez over 7.5 hits (+100)
- Leuri Ramírez over 2.5 RBI per game (+135)
- Total series runs over 58.5 (-110)

First Game Props:
- First inning run: Yes (+145)
- Landerson Valdez over 6.5 Ks (-115)
- Matthew Curran to homer (+320)
- Both teams to score 3+ runs (-125)

Series X-Factors:
1. Reds' MLB-best .691 home winning percentage
2. Cardinals' 7-game playoff winning streak
3. Head-to-head season series: Reds 8-6
4. Cardinals' converted closer Urban Henry (0.00 ERA in 6 playoff appearances)

The Pick:
Reds in 7 (-145)
Cincinnati's dominant home record and balanced lineup give them a slight edge in what should be a back-and-forth series. Expect several one-run games and late-inning drama.

Note: All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference. Please gamble responsibly.

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Cards Scratch Out 2-1 Win as Henry Slams Door in Cincinnati

By Rick Hummel
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

CINCINNATI - For all the talk about power arms and potent lineups, Game 1 of the National League Championship Series came down to the little things: A sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and a 40-year-old closer slamming the door.

The Cardinals grabbed the series opener 2-1 at Great American Ball Park on Monday, manufacturing runs in classic National League style while Victor Santoyo and Urban Henry combined to silence baseball's most prolific offense.

"That's playoff baseball," said Cardinals manager Wookie Rogers. "Sometimes you have to win ugly."

The Cardinals struck first in the opening frame when Alexis Walker led off with a double, moved to third on a Leuri Ramírez single, and scored on Spencer Van Doren's sacrifice fly. That run would hold up until the eighth inning, when Trevor Clark's RBI double finally got Cincinnati on the board against Santoyo.

But the Cardinals had one more small-ball rally in them. Walker worked a leadoff walk in the ninth against Reds closer Neil Johnson, and after some crafty baserunning that saw him take third on Archer Fernández's single, he scored the winning run on Van Doren's second sacrifice fly of the night.

"Alexis is our spark plug," Rogers said of his centerfielder, who reached base twice and scored both Cardinal runs. "When he's creating chaos on the basepaths, good things happen."

The real story was Santoyo, who scattered five hits over 7⅓ innings before giving way to Henry. The veteran closer, who earlier this week spoke about embracing his new role, recorded the final five outs for his third save of the postseason.

"Urban's seen it all," said catcher Yun-Seong Jeon. "Nothing fazes him anymore."

The Reds threatened in the ninth when Tezer Chapman singled with one out, but Henry calmly retired Bill Smith and Chuck Fettkether on fly balls to preserve the win.

NOTES: This was the first 2-1 game between these teams since June 2062... The Cardinals have now won eight straight playoff games dating back to last year... Landerson Valdez took the tough loss despite eight strong innings... Game 2 features Taner Peterson against Inigo Montes... The teams combined to strand 13 runners.

KEY MOMENT: With runners at first and second and one out in the ninth, Henry fell behind Vazquez 3-1 before battling back for a crucial strikeout. "That's why he's going to Cooperstown," Rogers said of his closer.

WHAT'S NEXT: Game 2, Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park. First pitch scheduled for 8:05 PM ET.

From Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati

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From Command to Crisis: How the Cardinals Lost Control of the Series

The numbers tell a cruel story: Two one-run leads lost, one error at the worst possible moment, and suddenly the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves trailing the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 in the National League Championship Series.

Thursday's 5-4 gut punch at Sportsman's Park followed a similar script to Tuesday's 3-2 loss in Cincinnati. In both games, the Cardinals held leads late. In both games, those leads evaporated in crushing fashion.

"Baseball has a way of humbling you," said a visibly frustrated Wookie Rogers, who declined formal postgame questions but offered that brief comment before departing.

The final inning of Game 3 epitomized the Cardinals' sudden reversal of fortune. Leading 4-2 entering the ninth, Urban Henry – so dominant throughout the postseason – surrendered a game-changing double to Tristan Martínez before Daxton Anderson's go-ahead single silenced the crowd of 33,586.

"Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug," said Irv Daniels, whose eighth-inning two-run homer had given St. Louis what seemed like a commanding lead. "Today we were the bug."

The collapse overshadowed another strong start from Mark Wleh (7 IP, 2 ER) and wasted a breakout performance from Chuck Fettkether (4-for-5, 2 RBI).

How quickly things change. Just 48 hours ago, the Cardinals were celebrating a Game 1 victory and dreaming of a 2-0 series lead. Now they're facing the very real possibility of watching Cincinnati celebrate at Sportsman's Park.

The series pivoted in Game 2 when Matthew Curran scored two runs on a critical error in the sixth inning, turning a 2-1 Cardinals lead into a 3-2 deficit. Inigo Montes made that lead stand up with seven masterful innings.

"We've been resilient all year," said catcher Yun-Seong Jeon. "No reason to stop now."

The Cardinals will turn to Palmer Moore in Game 4, hoping to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole. Cincinnati counters with Zach Bailey, who posted a 2.75 ERA at home this season.

BY THE NUMBERS:
- Cardinals have led in all three games
- 14 runners left on base by Cincinnati in Game 3
- Henry's ERA has risen from 0.00 to 4.66 in his last two outings
- Reds batting .333 with runners in scoring position in series

WHAT'S NEXT: Game 4, Friday at Sportsman's Park. First pitch scheduled for 8:05 PM CT.

"We're not done," said Alexis Walker, who reached base three times in Game 3. "But we better start writing some different endings to these games."