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Cardinals feellike they belongST. LOUIS lt;AP — After five seasons “with the also-ran Brewers, Fernando Vina is having the time of his life.“Coining here is something special/' said Vina, whose leadoff home run helped the St Louisseries sweep of the Atlanta Braves. “This is what I always dreamed dbont, playing in the postseason and trying to win the last game.I thank God I got traded over here to play for this team.”Vina and the rest of the Cardinals got yesterday off, a day after they beat the Braves’ three pitching aces by a combined score of 24-10. The team has a workout today to begin preparations for the NLCS against the wild card New York Mets, who eliminated the San Francisco Giants in four games on Bobby Jones' one-hitter Sunday.Games 1 and 2 are in St. Louis Wednesday and Thursday, with the best-of*seven series shifting to New York on Saturday,The Cardinals were 3-6 against the Mets, getting swept twice — home and away — in May and sweeping New York Sept 1-3 at home. J.D. Drew batted .409 against the Mets and Jim Edmonds had four homers and six RBIs.Edmonds was the Cardinals' big gun against the Braves in the playoffs, going 8-for-14 with two homers and seven RBIs.You’re never surprised at success,” Edmonds said. You're in the big leagues because you're a good player You're supposed to have success.Edmonds is doing even better than in his MVP caliber season, when he hit 42 homers and drove in a career-best 108 RBIs.“Players who had a great year, in postseason sometimes they gocold,” manager Tony La Russa said “Pitchers don't pitch to them and people do not see the real guy who's so crucial for you.They saw it in these three games.”— -Everything-has-worked-out^.f«the Cardinals so far, even though there’s been plenty of adversity.Mark McGwire has been avail, able only for pinch hit duty because of a knee Injury, although he said it's improved to the point where he may be able to DH if the Cardinals make it to the World Series. Third baseman Fernando Tatis, who led the league in RBIs when he went out for about two months with a torn groin in late April, whs benched in favor of Placido Polanco in the division series because of a 3-for-36 slump.The Cardinals also needed a heavy contribution from thetr bull pen in the series. Rick Anklel became the first pitcher in 110 years to throw five wild pitches in an inning „ in Game 2, departing in the third inning, and Garrett Stephenson lasted only 3% innings in Game 3 before leaving *£ue to elbow tendinitis.The relievers allowed two runs in 13% innings, going one-third of an inning mote than the starters.Stephenson, who was 16-9, likely is done for the season. That, plus the structure of the series, likely will give Andy Benes (12-9) and perhaps Pat Hentgen (15-12) 8 chance to start in the NLCS.Neither pitched in the Braves sweep. Benes was out of therotatior for about a month with a knet injury that will require ofEseasor surgery, but returned for three late season starts and pitched well in ths last two.
Newspaper Details
Capital Gazette
Annapolis, Maryland, US
Mon, Oct 09, 2000
Page 13
Full Page
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MD, USA 28 Jul 2024
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