MLB Playoffs: Pujols, Freese Power Cardinals Past Brewers

The St. Louis Cardinals used one big inning and a strong showing from their bullpen to claim a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the National League Championship Series.  With the victory, St. Louis put themselves up 2-1 in the best-of-seven playoff series.

Game three of the NLCS was shaping up to be a premier pitching matchup, with Chris Carpenter taking on Yovani Gallardo.  While both starters struggled, the bullpens of each club stepped up in a big way.

St. Louis got the scoring started, putting up a four spot on Gallardo in the bottom of the first.  The Cardinals used three doubles to stake their ace to an early advantage.

Fortunately for the Brewers, Carpenter wasn’t sharp Wednesday night, as Milwaukee was able to chip away at the Cardinals lead over the next few innings.

Yuniesky Betancourt continued his impressive NLCS play, singling in the Brewers first run.  Gallardo helped his own cause, sending a sac fly to right to score the second run of the frame.  Mark Kotsay’s solo home run in the third reduced St. Louis’s advantage to one.

But this was as close as the Brewers would come.  Carpenter recovered to log two scoreless innings before manager Tony La Russa went to his pen.  Cardinals relievers combined to throw four perfect frames, and Jason Motte recorded the final four outs for St. Louis, striking out a pair in the ninth to notch his first save of the NLCS.

Albert Pujols and David Freese kept up their torrid playoff pace, combining to go 5-6 with three doubles and two RBI’s.  Pujols has turned it on at just the right time, as he’s now hitting .452/.514/.774 this postseason.  Freese isn’t far behind with his line of .367/.387/.800.

The NLCS continues tonight in St. Louis, with Randy Wolf trying to get the series back to even against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Lohse.

For more on the Brewers and Cardinals, be sure to check out Reviewing the Brew and Redbird Rants.