Morning Marquee: Cardinals, Giants to square off in NLCS

The odds weren’t in the St. Louis Cardinals favor, They didn’t care. This is October. They make their own odds. With Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Adams hit a three-run home run in the seventh to put the Cards up 3-2 en route to the victory.

Adam Wainwright, who will likely finish right behind Kershaw in the Cy Young vote, could only watch as the seventh inning unfolded. But what a seventh it was, as the Cards beat Kershaw for the fourth time in the postseason in two October series.

Since 2000, this will be their ninth trip to the NLCS, and have one more playoff games in that span (63), than any other team in the Majors. The faces change for the Cardinals, the results do not.

The San Francisco Giants head back to the NLCS after defeating the Washington Nationals, the league’s winningest team during the regular season. The Giants had to play the one-and-done Wild Card game just to have the chance, but they’re making the most of it.

The Giants used solid pitching, some sensational defense from Hunter Pence, and were relentless in winning the series 3-1. The offense found itself to be quite resourceful, scoring all their runs without the benefit of a hit.

The two teams will meet in the NLCS starting Friday in St. Louis.

Here are some headlines from around the league:

‘Bill Mueller resigns as Chicago Cubs’ hitting coach’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Cubs claim LHP Joe Ortiz off waivers from Rangers’ – Cubbies Crib

‘San Francisco Giants defeat Nationals, advance to NLCS’ – Call to the Pen

‘Kershaw has seventh inning issues, Cardinals advance’ – Call to the Pen

‘Josh Beckett officially announces retirement’ – Call to the Pen