Cardinals Coast into World Series, Blast Brewers, 12-6; David Freese MVP

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 16, 2011

National League

Cardinals 12 Brewers 6

Blowing away the Brewers with nine runs in the first three innings, the St. Louis Cardinals captured the 18th National League pennant for their storied franchise, and will face the Texas Rangers beginning Wednesday in St. Louis, courtesy of the National League's victory over the American League in the All Star Game, in the 2011 World Series.

Freese: Series MVP
.545, 3 HR, 9 RBI

After Lance Berkman singled home Jon Joy with the NLCS game six's first run, David Freese unloaded off Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum with a three-run homer to put the Cardinals up 4-0, a lead they would not relinquish.

It was Freese's third fence-buster of the series. The St. Louis third baseman added a single and double for a 3-for-4 effort, scoring three times and was named MVP of the series with nine RBI and a .545 batting average (12-for-22).

Once again, the Cardinal bullpen was top-shelf, allowing two earned runs over the final seven innings, after starter Edwin Jackson was lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of their third inning, manager Tony LaRussa pulling all the strings necessary to assure advancement to the fall classic. Jackson had given up four run over the first two innings; LaRussa's moved paid off when pinch-hitter Allen Craig punched out a two-run single in the Cardinals' four-run fourth.

St. Louis set a major league mark with 28 relief appearances in the series, along with another quirky stat; the Cardinal relievers worked more innings in the series than did the starters.

Rangers at Cardinals, Wednesday. Let's go.