Commentary: Cards Have Earned Lead

The Atlanta Braves whined a bit after game one that the Cardinal victory had been a bit fluky. Some good bounces, a couple of errors, and the Cards won. Well game two was a good old-fashioned spanking. Make no mistake about this: whether or not the Cardinals finish off this series, they’ve won the first two games because they have flat out-played the Braves. They’ve out-pitched them, with a great effort from the bullpen in game one, and Darryl Kile’s solid effort in game two. They’ve out-hit them, with Will Clark and Jim Edmonds leading the effort and plenty of other guys chipping in. And they’ve out defended them, as the Braves kicked the ball around in the first game, and Jim Edmonds dazzled on-lookers with his over-the-shoulder catch in game two. Maybe Maddux and Glavine WEREN’T at their best, but the point is the Cardinals WERE. They’ve been dominant. And now they need to be dominant one more time. By no means do I think this series is over. But if the Cardinals play this weekend like they have so far, the Braves are finished.