Cardinals, Cubs to meet for first time in playoffs

The Pirates have faced Arrieta, the opposing pitcher in the wild card game, five times and beaten him once this season… Welcome to the program again.

It was all Jake Arrieta and the Cubs needed as the ace continued his masterful season with a complete game shutout, striking out 11 Pirates hitters and allowing just four singles.

After combining all the numbers, we are happy to announce the upstart Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros will meet in the World Series … assuming they survive their Wild Card games on the road.

The St. Louis Cardinals are back in the playoffs for the fifth straight year, and that’s good news for the region’s economy. It’s an elimination game.

But the Bucs had the guy they wanted on the mound, too, in Gerrit Cole, and truth be told, he didn’t get the job done.

But whether or not the Cubs won Wednesday’s game doesn’t really matter, at least not beyond this season.

KERI: Yeah, what a beauty of a matchup.

For many sports fans, this might seem a bit unfair.

You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page, two hours before game time (90 minutes for a few early day games following night games). Cole is the Pirates’ best pitcher, and he needed a great outing for the Bucs to have any chance against Arrieta. So how is a one-and-done postseason even a season? He’s great for the Cubs. He is the front-runner for the NL Cy Young award, and his stat line in the second half of the season has been nothing short of historic. “Then coming out to the ballpark, there are butterflies and listening to the national anthem and listening to the crowd roar, there is going to be butterflies”.

1972 Oakland Athletics” Championship: “You Never Forget Your First – Remember when the A’s won it all in 1972? It’s hard to imagine a casual fan not rooting for the team that wins that game. Perhaps they don’t see his Merlot drinking is all that attractive. How do the Cards keep doing this? I’m just going to go out and do my best. And sure, they’re entitled to it, but That Doesn’t Mean I Want It To Happen. And they do an excellent job. Unfortunately for them, the Cardinals won 100. But they just have such incredible depth. I think there will be more conversation over the winter. And with the revenue of a major-market franchise, Epstein should have no problem augmenting a $120 million payroll that ranks just No. 13 in baseball. They now get the right to play the team with the best record in baseball this season, the 100-win St. Louis Cardinals.

I hope that man and his son have enjoyed the last three years of Pirates baseball. And all that stuff was happening.