Chris Carpenter flirted with disaster in the first inning of game 4, but escaped with only 2 runs allowed. Ronnie Belliard got those 2 runs back in the bottom half of the first coming through with a 2-out bases loaded hit. Carpenter and the bullpen kept the Padres off the scoreboard the rest of the way and the Cards got 4 runs in the 6th highlighted by a Juan Encarnacion RBI triple and a David Eckstein suicide squeeze for the 6-2 series clinching win.

Chris Young was brilliant striking out 9 in 6 and 2/3 scoreless innings as the Padres defeated the Cardinals 3-1 in game 3 of their division series. Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina teamed up for 2 nice plays in the first inning – first Pujols gunned down Dave Roberts at the plate on an infield grounder, then Molina picked off Piazza at first to end the inning. So Taguchi solo-ed to lead off the 8th for the lone Cardinals run.