After surviving a near total meltdown, the Cardinals will start with a clean slate this afternoon. The Major League Baseball playoffs begin this afternoon. The Redbirds are in San Diego today and will stay there for the first two games of the series. Game 3 and 4 will be in St. Louis. The two teams will return to the west coast if the series goes to a deciding Game 5. The Cardinals swept the Padres in the same round of last year’s playoffs.

The Cardinals are limping into the playoffs having gone 3-7 in their last 10 games and 3-9 in their final 12. They barely avoided a Titanic-sized sinking when a seven-game divisional lead was reduced to just ½ a game in a week.

Reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter is scheduled to start today’s game. Jake Peavy will get the nod for the Padres. Jeff Weaver will go for the Birds in Thursday’s Game 2 with Jeff Suppan to follow in Game 3.