The Cards May Run for the Title

The St. Louis Cardinals have been at the top of the heap in the National League for the past few years.  Although they were swept by the Red Sox in the 2004 World Series and were eliminated in six games by the Houston Astros in last year’s NLCS, the road to the NL Central runs through the Arch.

St. Louis has won the last two division titles with relative ease, but when the playoffs started it seemed like they couldn’t get it out of cruise control.  Normally the Cardinals would have their division in a stranglehold by the end of June, but this year is a very different story.  The Milwaukee Brewers and the Astros are only five and six games back, respectively, and the upstart Cincinnati Reds are only a game back nearing the All-Star Break. 

So the question remains, will the Cards handle their business and win their third straight division title, or will they crack under the pressure of having to contend for their playoff spot? 

The answer to this question is that the Cards will not only take care of business, but they will win the division by at least a five game margin.  The first reason for this is Tony LaRussa.  He is one of the top three managers in baseball and can lead his team to the promised land once again.

Now, let’s look at the facts.  The Reds top two starting pitchers are Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang.  While both of these men are having excellent seasons so far, it will not last in the second half of the season.  Neither one of these pitchers have ever had the responsibility of carrying a team as a number one or two starter, which they must continue to do.  Also, fatigue and having to face teams that have seen them many times already this season (most importantly the Cardinals) and can adjust to their styles, will prove to be the Red’s pitching downfall.

The Reds are also an awful team at their home stadium, only 18-20 so far this season.  Although 18-20 is almost a .500 record, teams need to win at least 60-70 percent of their home games to be a legit contender for a division title.  The Cardinals are currently 25-15 at home this season.

The Milwaukee Brewers are not a legit contender, and therefore will not be discussed at length in this article.  However, a team with Roger Clemens as its ace is always a legit contender and this year is no different.  The Rocket’s return adds another solid starter to the rotation to accompany Roy Oswalt, not to mention the leadership and confidence factor Clemens seems to have on the Astros.  They are only six games back and could still be the biggest threat to the Cardinals three-peat.  Look for the Astros to win their third straight NL Wild Card.

However, with all of that said, St. Louis still just has too much for the other teams.  Albert (the freak) Pujols is back from injury and will continue his absolute tear.  He is the most feared batter since Barry Bond’s 2001 “flackseed oil” season and has repeatedly played the role of David Ortiz for his team in the clutch this season.  Along with Pujols, Edmonds and Rolen will contribute plenty of offense for the Cards to win the division.

Lastly, pitching wins baseball games and the Cardinals have the best pitching staff in the division and possibly in the NL.  Chris Carpenter is still an amazing pitcher and Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis are all capable of throwing complete game shutouts at any time.  They are very dangerous as a staff and will carry the Cards to the division title and maybe even to the World Series.