Holding off fierce competition from the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cardinals clinched the division crown as each team won at least 90 games. The Cardinals finished the season with an NL-best 97–65 won–loss record. They opened the playoffs by defeating the Pirates in five games in the NLDS. Advancing to their third straight NLCS, they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games for their 19th NL pennant. Rookie Michael Wacha, who had nearly no-hit the Washington Nationals late in September, continued his dominance throughout the postseason as he allowed no runs against the Dodgers in 13 IP, earning the NLCS MVP. It was the second straight NLCS appearance to which managerMike Matheny guided the Cardinals, who became the first manager to appear in an LCS in his first two seasons. Rookie closerTrevor Rosenthal extended a 20-inning postseason scoreless streak that started in the 2012 NLDS. The Cardinals met the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, only to lose the series in six games.
Offseason acquisitions, departures and roster moves
March 7: Placed shortstop Rafael Furcal on the 15-day disabled list for a torn ligament, who was unavailable for the season as underwent Tommy John surgery.[16]
March 8: Signed first baseman Allen Craig to a five-year contract worth $31 million, including a $13 million club option for 2018 and $1 million buyout.[17]
March 19: Released Cedeño,[18] leaving the club responsible for 45 days or one-fourth of the original salary ($282,787).[19]
October 30, 2012: Added right-hander Jorge Rondon to the 40-man roster when Lohse and Berkman were removed as free agents.[20]
November 9, 2012: Advanced Kyle Lohse an initial qualifying offer of $13.3 million, but he declined it to become a free agent.[4] He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on March 25. Under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement, the Cardinals received a compensatory pick (#28) in the following June draft.[21][22]
On February 5, the Cardinals announced that Chris Carpenter was unlikely to pitch this season as he continued to experience weakness and numbness in his pitching shoulder and arm. He ceased throwing exercises and commented that he does not desire further surgery.[27] Despite pitching just six full seasons with the team, he is likely assured a place in Cardinals' team history.[28]
Less than a week later, Carpenter announced he would not travel to the club's spring training site in Jupiter, Florida and instead remain in St. Louis, fearing he could be a distraction.[29] At a press conference that same day, he said he still holds out hope of pitching in 2013, and refused to talk about retirement.[30] On February 22, the team placed Carpenter on the 60-day disabled list.
Schedule and media. The club announced its 32-game spring schedule on November 30, 2012. The first game was February 23, and the last on March 29.[31] Twelve games were nationally televised either on Fox Sports Midwest (10) or ESPN (2), starting on Monday March 11, 12:05pm (CT) at New York Yankees, through Thursday March 28 against the Miami Marlins.[32] (see also:National Broadcast Schedule)
Martínez returns to the US. Long held over by visa problems in his native Dominican Republic, Carlos Martínez was finally granted reentry into the United States in the last week of March, and joined the minor league camp in Jupiter, Florida. With camp ending on April 1, he started more than six weeks past the pitchers' report date in mid-February. The #3 prospect in the Cardinals' system ended the 2012 season in Double-A (Springfield), where he posted a 2.90 ERA and held opponents to a .237 batting average in 15 games (14 starts).[35]
Final spring training results. The Cardinals finished spring training on March 29 with a 16–15–1 record, and recorded 98,686 total attendance in 16 home games for an average of 6,168. They had a .282 team batting average with an NL-leading 4.20 team ERA.[36] Last year, the team had a 16–9–2 record in spring training games with a .276 team batting average and 3.05 team pitching ERA, finishing 11th in the Grapefruit League. They drew 85,858 fans during 13 home games, averaging 6,604 fans per game.[37]
Middle infield. With shortstop Rafael Furcal's elbow (strained ulnar collateral ligament) cutting short his 2012 season, rest was thought to be the best option rather than surgery.[38] However, Furcal was shut down for the season on March 3 due to the ligament not improving,[39] and an announcement for Tommy John surgery followed on March 7.[16]
Free-agent signee Ronny Cedeño was brought in to back up second and shortstop after Skip Schumaker's trade, but was released on March 19,.[18] After an 18-inning tryout and an .828 OPS in 340 PAs as a rookie in 2012, utility playerMatt Carpenter was advised to continue working out at second in the offseason, and was nominated for the regular job after spring.[40][41][42]Pete Kozma became the starting shortstop and Daniel Descalso the backup to Carpenter and Kozma.[43][44]
Starting pitching. With Chris Carpenter shifted to the 60-day disabled list, one spot for a starting pitcher opened. Competition fell between Joe Kelly and Shelby Miller.[45] Miller won the spot, sporting an 11:5 strikeout to walk ratio and 17 hits in 16 innings, compared to Kelly's 2:6 and 15 hits in 13 innings, placing him in a bullpen role.[46] Starter Lance Lynn reported to camp forty pounds lighter than in 2012, but ironically struggled to find his command as he attempted to pitch using a "new body."[47]
David Freese
Reserve roles. Thanks to a strong spring at the plate, former Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year Matt Adams made the team as a pinch-hitter and backup at first base.[18] Rookie outfielder Óscar Taveras also made a strong impression, batting .289 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 80 PAs. He started the season in the minors to allow "his development ... to be playing every day ... to handle the day-to-day rigors of the major league schedule", according to Mozeliak.[48]
Matheny underwent successful back surgery on March 11 to relieve pain and numbness caused by a ruptured disk.[49]
On March 21, closer Jason Motte experienced tightness in his pitching elbow after pitching against the Mets. An MRI revealed a right flexor tendonstrain. He began the season on the DL and Mozeliak was uncertain how much time he would miss. Mitch Boggs replaced Motte as closer until his return.[50] On March 22, third baseman David Freese experienced back pain and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.[51]
Opening day on April 8 showed the largest attendance in the history of Busch Stadium with 47,345. The Cardinals had a 4–2 lead after 6 inn. and a 4–3 lead after 7 inn., but the Reds scored a run in the 8th to tie it, and then scored 9 in the 9th to win going away, 13–4. It spoiled a fine performance by starter Jaime García who pitched effectively for 6.2 inn., giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, walking 3, and striking out 10. It was the first of 19 games between the two teams the experts believe are the best in the Central, and will battle it out for the title.[52]
The team chartered an overall successful opening month, finishing with a 15–11 record (.577 winning percentage) and in first place in the NL Central. However, it was not without challenges: the rest of the division played also very competitively, with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds each finished the month within one game of the Cardinals.[53] An outstanding effort by the starting pitching won all 15 games in the month (2.15 ERA in 167 innings, and 1.152 WHIP with 8.2 SO per nine innings) and timely hitting (.350 BA, .940 OPS with RISP) covered for an otherwise dismal offense (.245 BA, 20 home runs and .677 OPS) and dysfunctional bullpen (0–5, 5.82 ERA in 66 innings).[54][55]Starting pitcherAdam Wainwright began the season with 34 2/3 consecutive innings without issuing a walk, the longest such streak in team history since 1913, when Slim Sallee began the season with 40 consecutive innings (the team record).[56][57] Wainwright led the league with 171 batters faced and in pitching 44 1/3 innings. Wainwright and Lance Lynn tied for the NL lead with four wins each, while Jake Westbrook led the league with a 0.98 ERA. Rookie Shelby Miller finished the month with a 2.05 ERA, 1.011 WHIP and 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings.[58]
The team was only 6–5 at home, 9–6 on the road. They scored 117 runs, giving up 93.
Westbrook milestone.Jake Westbrook won his 100th game (against 96 losses) on May 2 after two previous attempts in which the game was lost after he left the game in the lead.[59] His 1.07 ERA and a 351 ERA+ lead the league, spearheading a trend in common with the Cardinals rotation. To this point, the starters' aggregate 2.09 ERA led the majors and their 17–6 record led the NL, second in MLB only to the Boston Red Sox (17–4). Adam Wainwright's 2.03 ERA was eighth in the NL, and Shelby Miller's 2.05 ERA tenth. At 17–11, St. Louis' pitching staff had the second-lowest team ERA in the majors at 3.14, trailing only the Atlanta Braves at 3.10.[60]
Motte done for season; rookies step up in débuts. On May 3, closerJason Motte's prognosis showed no improvement and he underwent season-ending Tommy John (elbow ligament) reconstructive surgery the next week.[61] However, two of the Cardinals' prized pitching prospects made their Major League débuts the same day: Carlos Martínez and Seth Maness each worked one scoreless inning after Miller's six innings in a 6–1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, their fourth win in a row and seventh in ten games.[62]
Carpenter's surprising progress. On May 4, Chris Carpenter announced that he felt no arm pain and that he hoped to contribute to a bullpen fix after resuming his throwing program. Mozeliak commented he could return in late June or early July.[63] He threw an impressive fourth bullpen session of about 70 pitches on May 10, showing all his pitch types, and said afterwards he felt good and ready for a fifth session on May 13.[64]
Back-to-back no-hit near-misses. On May 10, Shelby Miller continued his excellent season by throwing a one-hit, no-run, masterpiece at home in just his eighth career start, defeating the Colorado Rockies 3–0. Improving his record to 5–2, Miller lowered his ERA to a dazzling 1.58 and WHIP to 0.88. He retired the final 27 batters of 28 total after allowing a bloop single to the very first batter, Eric Young, Jr., throwing 84 of 113 pitches for strikes. With no other blemishes in his "near-perfect" game, Miller struck out a career-high 13, tying the Cardinals' rookie record held by Dick Hughes (1967), and Scipio Spinks (1972) in his first complete-game shutout in the majors and most distinguished start since his début in September 2012. It was also the most-distinguished start by a Cardinal rookie since Bud Smith threw a no-hitter in 2001.[65][66][67] Miller also set a franchise record nine-inning game score of 98.[68] The next game, Wainwright took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Rockies on his way to finishing the game with a two-hit, complete-game shutout, his NL-leading second shutout of the season. Combining Wainwright's and Miller's efforts, they retired 40 Rockies in a row – tying the major league record – and prevented a base hit for 51 batters in a row.[69] It was only the fifth time in Cardinals' history that two successive starters have given up two hits or less. The last time was on May 2–3, 1967 when Bob Gibson and Ray Washburn each allowed two hits in complete game wins. Previous years this happened were in 1946, 1942, and 1927.[70]
Rookies bail out veterans. Rookie pitchers played a key role the first two months of the season, bailing out the pitching staff beset with numerous injuries and ineffectiveness. Starting pitcher Jaime García was yet another casualty, with season-ending shoulder surgery on May 24.[73] With Michael Wacha's call up on May 30, he became the eighth rookie pitcher on the young season and the third in the month of May to début starting a game. After a 4–1 victory over the Kansas City Royals, rookies accounted for 134 of the Cardinals' 457 innings for the season, sporting a 2.35 ERA. For the month, the rookies combined to go 10–2 with a 2.23 ERA.[74] The overall staff ERA was a major-league leading 3.07.[75] This game left the Cardinals with a major-league best 34–17 record.[76]
Cardinals have youngest pitching staff in baseball. After Michael Wacha, 21, made his debut on May 30, the Cardinals have the youngest pitching staff in baseball, averaging only 25.0 years in age. The team has used nine rookies and eight pitchers are younger than 25. The rookie pitchers have combined for an MLB-leading 12 wins.[79]
Craziest game of the year. The nine-inning game on May 30, was officially only 2:27 in time, but that didn't count the one-hour rain delay prior to the original start time of 7:15pm, and then the 4:32 delay in the top of the ninth inning from 10:32pm to 3:04am, finally with the game ending at 3:14am on May 31. The reason to wait out the long rain delay was because it was the last trip the Kansas City Royals make to St. Louis, and Rule 4.12(b)(4) would apply, so the Royals persuaded umpire Joe West to keep the game from being called and their three runs in the top of the ninth to be wiped out with them losing 2–1 after eight full innings. They won the argument, and the game 4–2.[80] The game's total 5:32 rain delay was the longest in baseball since October 3, 1999, when the Cincinnati Reds-Milwaukee Brewers had a 5:47 delay.[81] Although not saddled with the loss, rookie starter Michael Wacha, 21, in his major-league debut lost the chance for a win after dazzling the fans and television audience in retiring the first 13 batters he faced. He gave up a total of just two hits and one run, walking one and striking out six in his seven full innings, holding a 2–1 lead until reliever Mitchell Boggs gave up a game-tying home run leading off the top of the ninth. The game-ending time at 3:14am was the latest ever for a game at Busch Stadium.[82] Wacha had thrown only 73.2 IP in the minors before his call-up and debut. He threw only 93 pitches (67 for strikes), facing 23 batters, retiring 21 of them. His 93 pitches were mostly 92-96 mph fastballs, then change-ups, with only three curveballs. He kept two souvenir balls: his first strikeout (Alex Gordon), and the ball he got a single in his first at-bat.[83]Mitchell Boggs returned to the Cardinals to help the bullpen after 18 days (May 2–20), blew Michael Wacha's 2–1 lead in his debut on May 30, and was demoted a second time to AAA-Memphis the next day, May 31. Boggs' 2013 year now reads: 18 games played in, 0–3, with an 11.05 ERA, 21 hits, 15 walks, 11 strikeouts, and a 2.455 WHIP in 14.2 IP.[84][85]
Shelby Miller wins award.Shelby Miller won the MLB.com's Pitching Performance of the Month award for May because of his one-hit game on May 10. He was 2–1, walking only six and striking out 32 for the month, while leading the NL with a 1.82 ERA.[86]
For May, the team was 9–4 at home and 11–3 on the road. St. Louis scored 133 runs while giving up 85. (Year: 35–18, 250 runs scored, 178 runs against)
David Freese's 20-game hit streak.David Freese's major-league leading 20-game hit streak came to an end on June 12 at Citi Field, with his batting average climbing from .209 to .281. He drove in 16 runs during his streak that started with a grand slam on May 17.[87]
Draft pick signings. The Cardinals reached agreements with their three top draft picks from June 6–8, on June 12. LHP's Marco Gonzales (1st, 19th overall), Rob Kaminsky (1st, 28th overall), and SS Oscar Mercado (2nd, 57th overall) along with six other draftees. No announcement will be made until they pass a physical next week.[88] Mercado signed on June 17 ($1.5 mil.), and will report to the Gulf Coast League Cardinals rookie team in Jupiter, Florida. Other drafted signees include right fielder Ricardo Bautista (12th round), center fielder DeAndre Asbury-Heath (15th round), shortstop Michael Schulze (19th round), center fielder Anthony Ray (36th round), and right-handers Arturo Reyes (40th round) and Brandon Lee (undrafted).[89] First round pick LHP Kaminsky signed on June 18 ($1.785 mil.), and will also report to the Gulf Coast League Cardinals.[90] Nine players signed on June 18, seven draftees and two free agents, for a total of 31 drafted and four free agents.[91] First pick, LHP Marco Gonzales rated #28 in the Top 500 prospects by Baseball America, signed on June 19 ($1.85 mil.), and will also report to the Gulf Coast League Cardinals. Gonzales had a 7–3 2.80 ERA in 16 starts for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, and also led the team in hitting with a .311 average.[92]
Yadier Molina leading NL hitters. A rarity when a catcher is leading a league in batting. But Yadier Molina is doing that in the NL with his .358 (.3578, 83-in-232) mark after the June 12 game when he went 3-for-4, boosting his average from the NL-leading .351 in the game before. Second place is Troy Tulowitzki (CO Rockies) with a .347 average. Miguel Cabrera (Det. Tigers) is leading the majors and the AL also with a .358 (.3583) average, just .0005 over Molina for the MLB lead.
Adam Wainwright wins 10th. On June 13, Adam Wainwright became the first MLB pitcher in 2013 to win 10 games, pitching seven scoreless innings as the Cardinals beat the New York Mets 2–1 at Citi Field. He scattered four hits, and struck out six in the victory. Wainwright achieved a career milestone early in the game as his first strikeout of the day, on David Wright, was the 1,000th of his career.[93] He has a career 133 ERA+, the 4th highest for an active pitcher who has a minimum of 1,000 innings.[94]
Cardinals, a model franchise.Richard Justice, a columnist for MLB.com, wrote on June 14, the Cardinals have the 11th-highest payroll, but enjoy its best record (43–23 .652 with a 3+1⁄2-game lead), with the 11th–1st difference indicating in a nutshell why the club has a great baseball organization.[95]
Only 3rd series lost, June 14–16. The Cardinals lost a 2-of-3 series to the Miami Marlins, only the 3rd series lost in the season (after 69 games) since a 2-of-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 26–28.[96] The team still leads MLB with a 44–25 (.638) record, and first place in the NL Central by 2+1⁄2 over the Cincinnati Reds. The team leads MLB in a .342 batting average with RISP (runners in scoring position), while the Chicago Cubs have the worst batting average with a .226 when RISP.[97]
Adam Wainwright wins NL Pitcher of Month award.Adam Wainwright was named NL Pitcher of the Month for June with a 4–2 1.77 ERA record. He struck out 40 while issuing only six walks, holding opposing batters to a .220 average. For the year, he is 11–5 with a 2.22 ERA, leading all of baseball with four complete games and a 9.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.[98]
Jon Jay's errorless streak record. On July 4, Jon Jay established a new NL all-time errorless streak record for centerfielders at 227 games (534 chances) against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Cardinals outfield record; his last error was on August 24, 2011.[99] On July 30, the streak ended against the division rivals Pittsburgh Pirates at 245 games. Curt Flood owned the previous record of 226 games spanning from September 3, 1965 to June 2, 1967.[100]
Five Cardinals selected for All-Star Game. On July 6, five Cardinals were announced to be in the 84th All-Star Game on July 16, the most for any NL team. Yadier Molina (.346, 6 HR, 45 RBIs) garnered the most votes in the National League with over 6.8 million while winning the spot as the starting catcher. At the All-Star break, he led the NL with a .346 batting average. Carlos Beltrán (.305, 19 HR, 51 RBIs) received the highest vote total for outfielders. Matt Carpenter (.319, 8 HR, 37 RBIs), the Cardinals' leadoff hitter, led the NL with 34 multihit games and was a reserve at second base. Pitcher Adam Wainwright (11–5, 2.36 ERA, 120 H, 3 HR, 13 BB, 117 K in 18 GS, 133.2 IP) was picked by the fans, leading the NL in innings pitched. Allen Craig (.325, 10 HR, 68 RBIs) was selected by manager Bruce Bochy. He also led the NL with a .476 batting average with men in scoring position, and was second in the league with 68 RBIs. Wainwright had the option of remaining on the active All-Star roster and pitching a maximum of one inning, per a new CBA rule that amended the previous rule that stopped pitchers who pitched the previous Sunday from pitching in the game.[101] He received the fourth-most pitcher votes.[102]
Team led MLB in BA w/RISP. After the first 106 games played (July 31; 62–44), the team led MLB with a .333 BA with RISP. Second were the Detroit Tigers with a .294. The .333 batting average is the best in over 50 years and so far ahead of Detroit, the Cardinals could go hitless with RISP in the next 131 at-bats, still lead the majors, and go hitless in their next 235 at-bats and still lead the NL. Allen Craig led the NL with a .465 average, Matt Carpenter was third (.400), and Yadier Molina fifth (.385). Carlos Beltrán (.367) and Matt Holliday (.365) were also in the top nine in the NL. Craig's figure was the highest in a season since George Brett (.469) in 1980.[103]
Ended L.A.'s 15-game road win streak. The home game win on August 6 against their ace Clayton Kershaw (10–6, 1.87), highlighted by four double plays (fourth time in a 2013 game), ended the L.A. Dodgers fourth-best in MLB history's 15-game road winning streak. The 1912 Washington Senators had 16, and the record of 17 stays with the 1916 New York Giants, later tied by the 1984 Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals 134 double plays turned lead all of MLB, including an NL-leading 12 by reliever Seth Maness who has turned them in only 39.1 IP. The team (66–46) stayed two games behind the NL Central leading Pirates, while the Dodgers (62–50) continue leading the NL West over Arizona by five games.[104][105]
Kolten Wong arrives. On August 16, Kolten Wong, the number 4 top prospect in the organization, arrived from AAA-Memphis, and was immediately placed sixth in the lineup playing his second base position against the Cubs. He batted .303 with a .369 OBP in 107 games at AAA, stealing 20 bases in 21 attempts.[106] He becomes the 18th rookie to appear for the Cardinals this season, tops among MLB teams and the most used by the Cardinals since 1997 when they had 19.[107]
Wainwright passes Bob Forsch, Chris Carpenter in strikeouts. On August 18, Adam Wainwright passed Bob Forsch (1,079) for fourth place on the all-time Cardinals' strikeout list, behind only Chris Carpenter (1,085), Dizzy Dean (1,095), and Bob Gibson (3,117) with his 1,081st against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in striking out 11, and winning for career win 94 against 55 losses for a .631 win percentage. Wainwright became only the fourth pitcher to go 6–0 in his career at that 99-year-old storied stadium. With the win, Wainwright ties for the NL lead in wins with 14 along with the Nationals'Jordan Zimmermann.[108] With his NL-leading 15th win on August 23 (at home), he struck out nine Braves giving him 1,090 strikeouts, passing teammate Chris Carpenter for third place. He also pitched a complete game, giving him an NL-leading five, and 16 for his career.[109] His ERA as a Cardinal is 3.06 compared to 3.07 for Carpenter.[110]
Broadcaster Mike Shannon has successful heart surgery. Radio voice Mike Shannon had successful heart surgery on August 19, to repair a defective aorta valve. The surgery had been planned for some time, and he will make a complete recovery. He will miss most of the remainder of the season, but plans to return on September 23. The team will employ a broadcasting rotation of Al Hrabosky, Rick Horton, and Mike Claiborne to join his regular co-broadcaster John Rooney until then.[111]
Cardinals expect to add 5–10 callups in September. GM John Mozeliak expects a larger number of callups than usual in September, between five and 10, when rosters expand starting on Sunday, September 1. The team plays 29 games over the final 31 days of the regular season. A callup must be on the 40-man roster. There is one open spot on the 40-man roster.[112]
Cardinals regain sole possession of first place. Opening a critical stretch of 13 games against their two top contenders, the Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, the game on August 26 had the Cardinals climb out of a steep 4–0 deficit after two innings, on two big home run blasts by Matt Holliday and Allen Craig. Holliday's 3-run HR in the third inning was a mammoth 442-foot blast into Big Mac land, cutting the deficit to only 4–3. Craig's very first grand slam in the seventh was a memorable one, highlighting a five-run inning, giving them the lead, 8–5 at the time. He is 6-for-7 with the bases loaded with two outs, and 7-for-10 with the bases loaded, giving him 15 RBIs of his 95 total. It was Craig's 50th career home run, and increased his now MLB-leading .452 average (57-for-126 with 4 HRs and 82 RBIs with a .500 OBP and .643 SLG) with runners in scoring position. His 95 RBIs are second in the NL only to the 103 by Paul Goldsmith of the Arizona Diamondbacks and tied with Brandon Phillips of the Reds. Jon Jay helped with two great catches in centerfield, and Edward Mujica got his 35th save out of 36 opportunities. The Reds with the tough loss fell 3+1⁄2 games in back of the Cardinals, with the Cardinals winning 9 of 13 against them so far this season. The final score was 8–6, with Carlos Martinez getting his first major league win, on a hot night with 93 degrees at the 6:05 game time (on ESPN), and 35,159 in attendance.[113][114][115]
Cards acquire RHP reliever John Axford. The Cardinals acquired Milwaukee Brewers closer John Axford, 30, on August 30, in exchange for a player to be named later. No cash changed hands, leaving the Cardinals to pay Axford the approximately $1 mil. remaining on his $5 mil. 2013 contract. He is eligible for arbitration after the season, and the Cardinals can either non-tender him after the season or work out a new contract for him. He has not saved a game in 2013, and has a 4.45 ERA in 62 games. This is the first deal between the Cardinals and Brewers in 10 years. This is the first deal the Cardinals have done this season to add to the club, and needed to be done before the August 31 deadline so Axford could be on the postseason roster.[116]
Matt Carpenter ties Hornsby's doubles record.Matt Carpenter hit his 46th double on September 4, tying Rogers Hornsby's mark for a Cardinals' hitter who primarily plays second base.[117] He broke Hornsby's record with his NL-leading 47th double on September 6, also leading the NL in Hits (172) and Runs (110), and is a serious contender for the MVP Award.[118]
Wainwright now second in strikeouts.Adam Wainwright struck out eight batters in the September 7 game at home against the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates for 1,103 strikeouts in his career, passing Dizzy Dean (1,095) for second place among Cardinals' pitchers. Only Bob Gibson (3,117 in 528 games) has more strikeouts. He threw seven shutout innings giving the Pirates only two hits and two walks, picking up his league-leading 16th win against nine losses, and a 3.03 ERA. He now has 195 strikeouts for the season, second only to the L.A. Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw who has 201.[119] The win also pushed the Cardinals back into first-place by just 1⁄2 game in the see-saw Central division against the Pirates, and only 1+1⁄2 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. Wainwright was coming off the two worst games of his career, giving up 15 earned runs and 17 hits in those two games totaling eight innings.[120] He leads the NL in wins (tied), innings pitched (213.2), hits giving up (198), games started (30), and batters faced (846).
10 consecutive years over 3 million. For the 10th consecutive year starting in 2004, the Cardinals attained over 3 million attendance with 40,506 in the 10-inn. 2–1 win over the visiting Seattle Mariners on September 13. After this 73rd home game, the attendance totals 3,037,191 for an average of 41,605 per game.[121]
Mujica removed as Closer.Edward Mujica was removed as closer on September 21, because of fatigue. He has 37 saves, but failed to convert three out of his last five chances.[122]
Carpenter breaks Musial's record for Doubles.Matt Carpenter broke Stan Musial's record for doubles (53 in 1953) by a left-handed batter with his 54th on September 21. Joe Medwick owns the Cardinals' record with 64 in 1936. Carpenter's .328 BA, 67 RBI, 61 extra-base hits, 105 runs, and .488 slugging pct. are tops amongst all Major League leadoff men, and his 194 hits are tops in the NL.[123] He led the majors with his 55 doubles, 126 runs scored, 199 hits, and 63 multi-hit games. He also set the Busch Stadium III record with 112 hits. He hit .318 ranking sixth in the NL, and fourth in hitting with runners in scoring position with his .388.[124]
Cardinals clinch playoff berth. With the Washington Nationals losing to the Miami Marlins on September 22, the St. Louis Cardinals clinch a playoff berth. Manager Mike Matheny becomes the first Cardinals' manager to take his team to the playoffs in his first two seasons since Gabby Street did it with the 1930 and 1931 Cardinals.[125]
Shannon returns to radio booth. Radio broadcaster Mike Shannon (74) returned to the radio booth for the remaining six games, all at home, starting September 23. He was out for almost six weeks since before his August 19 heart aorta valve replacement surgery.[126]
Michael Wacha almost throws no-hitter. Rookie Michael Wacha (22), acquired in the 2012 draft with the 19th overall pick from the Los Angeles Angels as compensation for losing Albert Pujols[127] almost threw a no-hitter at home on September 24, against the Washington Nationals. He pitched 8.2 innings and 112 pitches (77 for strikes) with no hits, two walks, and one error against him before a little squibbler in the infield became the only hit against him. He struck out nine. He was then relieved on the final out for his fourth win of the season. He has pitched only 64.2 innings in the majors in 2013.[128][129] He became the third pitcher to lose a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth this year,[130] and it would have been the 11th no-hitter in Cardinals' history, with the last one in September 2001 by Bud Smith, who coincidentally wore uniform 52, same as Wacha.[131] The 1-hitter was the second in 2013 for a Cardinals' pitcher: Shelby Miller gave up a hit to the first batter, and then retired the next 27 on May 10.
Lohse continues to pay dividends. Kyle Lohse, who made news earlier in the year by rejecting the Cardinals' $13.3 million qualifying and signing with the Brewers with one week to go in spring training, continued to aid the Cardinals as they pursued the Central division title and best record in the NL for home-field advantage until the World Series.[21] Lohse threw his first complete game of the season against the Red in a 5–1 victory on September 13, dropping the Reds 3+1⁄2 games behind the Cardinals.[132][133] On September 25, Lohse threw his second complete game and first shutout of the season, a two-hit, 2–0 triumph over the Atlanta Braves. This win allowed the Cardinals to move ahead of the Braves by 1⁄2 game for best record in the NL.[134][135]
Cardinals clinch NL Central on September 27. The Cardinals clinched the NL Central title at home on September 27. It was their first NL Central title since 2009. It was their seventh division title since 2000, thanks to 20 rookies, 12 of them had never before appeared in the majors before this year. They were second three consecutive years prior to 2013. The club has a 16–6 record since Allen Craig was lost for the remainder of the regular season on September 4, with a foot injury.[136] The club previously lost their ace (Chris Carpenter), their shortstop (Rafael Furcal), and their closer (Jason Motte) before Opening Day, plus two more starting pitchers in May and then cleanup hitter Craig, who has the majors highest batting average (.454) with runners in scoring position.[137] He has been ruled doubtful for the 2013 National League Division Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, because of his Lisfrancinjury to his left foot.[138]
Cardinals set new RISP mark, other highlights. The team set a new baseball record for hitting efficiency with runners in scoring position. They hit .330 (447-for-1,355), the best in baseball since the Boston Red Sox hit .312 in 1950,[139] also beating the 2007 Detroit Tigers, and 1996 Colorado Rockies with a .311 average. Only George Brett (.469 in 1980) and Tony Gwynn (.459 in 1997) did better than Allen Craig, with his .454 led everyone in 2013. Freddie Freeman (Atlanta Braves) at .443 was second, with Matt Holliday at .390 third, Matt Carpenter at .388 fourth, Carlos Beltrán at .374 fifth, and Yadier Molina at .373 sixth.[124] Molina's 44 doubles (#2 in NL, #3 in MLB) were the most by a catcher since Iván Rodríguez had 47 in 1996. With 19 wins, Adam Wainwright is the third Cardinals pitcher to lead the league in wins twice in his career (2009 and this season, when he tied with Washington's Jordan Zimmermann), joining Mort Cooper and Dizzy Dean. Bob Gibson led just once, in 1970 with 23. The Cardinals' 36 wins from rookies this season are the most since 1941.[140] The Cardinals set a franchise record for fewest errors, with 75 and highest fielding percentage .988 beating their 2003 season with 77 errors and .987 average. They hit .305 with runners in scoring position and two outs. They hit .370 with the bases loaded with four grand slams. They had the second-lowest staff ERA 3.42 which is second only to the L.A. Dodgers 3.13.[141]
Major League Baseball released the 2013 schedule of all 30 major teams on September 12, 2012. On Opening Day, the Cardinals played the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 1 at 9:10pm CDT[142] and was nationally televised on ESPN2 as part of its Opening Day marathon.[143]Fox Sports Midwest (FSMW) televised 150 games.[144] FSMW hired former Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds to replace former pitcher Cal Eldred as the primary analyst for pregame and postgame shows.[145]
The Cardinals set a new NLDS record with seven runs in an inning (that record was broken the next year by the Cardinals, who scored 8 runs in the 7th inning of Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS[223])KMOX announcer John Rooney highlighted by Carlos Beltrán's towering three-run home run (443 feet), his 15th in post-season play tying Babe Ruth for eighth place on the list. Only Derek Jeter (20) and Albert Pujols (18) among active players have more.[224]
With St. Louis just one game from elimination, rookie Michael Wacha was called upon to start the game, and he nearly duplicated his September 24 no-hit effort just two weeks earlier against the Washington Nationals by carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning.[228] Again, he left having given up just one hit – Pedro Alvárez broke it up in the eighth with a home run for the Pirates' lone hit and run. Two more rookies – Carlos Martínez and Trevor Rosenthal – finished the game. With this performance, Wacha delivered a postseason no-hitter deeper than any rookie in history, surpassing Jeff Tesreau's 5+1⁄3 innings for the 1912 New York Giants. He also became the first first-round draft pick since Barry Zito (2000) to start a postseason game less than two years after being drafted.[227] He was acquired in the 2012 draft with the 19th overall pick from the Los Angeles Angels as compensation for losing Albert Pujols[127]Matt Holliday provided all the runs the Cardinals needed with his two-run homer in the sixth. With the Game 4 win, the Cardinals guaranteed a Game 5, making it the third straight NLDS Game 5 in as many years. Trevor Rosenthal picked up his first career post-season save.
Behind Adam Wainwright's arm, and a pair of two-run home runs by David Freese and Matt Adams, the Cardinals clinch their 8th trip to the National League Championship Series since 2000.
For the fourth time in 10 seasons, the Cardinals won the National League pennant. Michael Wacha, 22, was named NLCS MVP. He became the youngest NLCS MVP Award winner since 21-year-old Steve Avery of the Braves in 1991, the first rookie to win a postseason series MVP Award since then-Marlins sensation Liván Hernández in the 1997 World Series, and the first rookie to start and win an NLCS clinching game since the Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.[211]
The Cardinals faced the American League championBoston Red Sox, nine years after the two teams' last World Series meeting in 2004. Billed as a "throwback series", it was the first World Series since 1999 whose contestants finished with the best record in their respective leagues – prior to the introduction of divisional play in 1969, the top regular season records in each league qualified those teams for the World Series with no other playoff rounds.
The Red Sox led the American League in runs scored with 853 giving up 656 runs,[232] as the Cardinals were in leading the National League with 783 runs scored, while giving up only 596 runs.[233]
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