Troy Glaus hit a three run homer in the 6th inning apart of a four run rally, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a five run deficit and the Cardinals lost 5-4 allowing the Chicago Cubs to clinch the N.L. Central Division for the second year in a row.
Joel Pineiro was making the start for the Cardinals, just two days after celebrating the birth of twins with his wife down in Miami. Pineiro was pumped up and ready for the game, maybe a bit too hyped as he had trouble locating his two seam fastball.
It led to trouble early. In the bottom of the second with two outs and the bases loaded, Pineiro gave up a single to Alfonso Soriano, but the ball took a bad hop past left fielder Brian Barton and rolled to the ivy clearing the bases. While Pineiro struggled he could have been out of the inning on a double play earlier but 2nd baseman Felipe Lopez hestitated throwing to second on a groud ball that clearly would have been two outs.
The Cubs go two more in the fourth after Troy Glaus let a Geovany Soto grounder go through his legs. Then Mark DeRosa doubled in Soto, moved to third and scored on Cubs’ starter Ted Lilly’s squeeze to make it 5-0.
Lilly was in control of six of the seven innings he pitched. He allowed just three hits while striking out four in his six scoreless innings of work, but in the sixth the Cardinals got to Lilly with three hits and two walks including Glaus’ home run to cut the Cubs lead to 5-4.
That’s as close as it would get, as the Cubs for the second year in a row advance to the post-season. The last time Chicago did that was 100 years ago in 1907-1908 when they won back to back World Series titles. Of course, that was also their last championship.
The Cubs and Cardinals have dominated the Central Division. In 2003, the Cubs won, followed by three straight for St. Louis in 04, 05, and 06 of course with the World Series in 06. Now Chicago for two straight. Not bad for two rivals in the biggest division in baseball…the N.L. Central has six teams.
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