2000 NLDS (Cardinals @ Braves) Game Three

post agent to the urn exclusively on ESPN Radio baseball tonight returns 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time Bob Stevens will be here along with Brian McCray perhaps we'll have three teams with LCS reservations I think this has been a rather educational experience certainly for me I don't know for your having a guy like this guy sitting here it's been educational for me let's get this right there we heard all those things about IC personality and cold and I wouldn't agree with half the things that I've heard about you but some of them right some of them no it has been the it has been a treat and perhaps if things play out we see a Yankees Mariners I will say yes leave me out of that one please I get to watch at this time exactly you'll be watching it and we assume that at some point in the near future we'll get a phone call from you with the next next job because you don't leave Buck Showalter out of baseball very long out on a curve maybe thank you very much Ike you better go make with us we really appreciate there Peter we'll see you at the LCS again don't you be here tomorrow if there is a chef yes all right see me at the LCS again thanks for watching folks enjoy the game it's the Braves and the Cardinals for two days they faced Atlanta's best for two days they humbled Atlanta the st. Louis Cardinals a team with so many new faces but apparently unfazed by October's bright lights they have forced the league champs to the edge of the abyss and now go for the jugular today the scenes chefs the Turner Field the Braves these are desperate times a win and their eggs gets a shot at redemption a loss and their season comes to a better end crunch time and the Braves are in dire need of a hero [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] now ESPN's coverage of the division series continues [Music] [Applause] it is a clear crisp autumn day at Turner Field Atlanta and for the Atlanta Braves they're hoping that coming home will be the tonic they are down two games to none to the Cardinals in this division series they must win here hello everyone I'm John Miller and welcome to our telecast Bobby Cox making a bold move today and he instead of going with his ace Maddox on three days rest is going with Millwood a very confident move and he feels that going with Millwood gives his ace a chance to come back tomorrow bill would of course was outstanding last year down one game to none pitching a one hitter against the Houston Astros turning that series around so the Braves perhaps opened in history will repeat itself with Millwood with me as my partner buck Martinez and Buck for the Braves not going with Maddux you would think perhaps a risk taken by Bobby Cox well I don't think so John I think the Bobby Cox is saying to his team right now is hey I've got a lot of confidence in Kevin Millwood we're gonna have to have no wood win either game 3 or game 4 so by using mill what today he changes the look that the Cardinals have had to deal with in Games one and two they've handled finesse very effectively Kevin Millwood is a power pitcher so he's going to change their look also the difference in this series so far has been in the first inning the Cardinals have scored 9 runs in the first inning Millwood has done a great job shutting down the offense in the 1st inning over his last 21 starts he's allowed them to score just twice in the first inning so he's gonna want to put up a zero and try to take the momentum away from the Cardinals all right now we've seen from the Cardinals a lot of offense from will Clark and Jim Edmonds among others but from the Braves other than Brian Jordan is driven in four runs in two games not much offense at all the big guys need to turn it up well they should do John and the big guys on this Braves ballclub Chipper Jones a three hitter and Andres Galarraga the four hitter between them they have combined to hit just four for 14 with two extra-base hits and one RBI on vez Galarraga in particular he has four strikeouts in his six at-bats Braves need these two guys to step up and come up with key hits early in the ballgame to give the Braves the opportunity to take the lead and gather some momentum and get back in this series the Braves in an unfamiliar spot in this division series which they have dominated for five straight years they must win today to keep it going and then you must feel confident if they do is Levin and Maddux still to come Mark McGwire a homer has a pinch hitter on Thursday will he get in the game again perhaps the Cardinals hoping to celebrate ESPN's presentation of the division series is brought to you by suruc financial services innovative insurance financial protection and asset management [Music] now it's the Braves turn to get the home-field which seemed to have mean so much to the Cardinals in st. Louis and while the the big crowd is already doing the tomahawk chop there are also many empty seats up on the upper deck down the right-field line this is not a sellout not even close at Turner Field today as Tony LaRussa is it here's the car closed manager and Chris they could not get past the Braves in 1996 despite being at three games to one and that's all too fresh in the memory of Tony LaRussa here's his batting order the Pepsi Cardinals lineup been endovenous second base Edgar Renteria moves up for the second spot at shortstop Jim Edmonds centerfield will Park at first base hitting cleanup the Clark has just hit Millwood about as hard as one hitter could possibly hit one pitcher and that most of it this year ray Lankford in left field Carlos and and is the catcher JD Drew hitting 7th and right field Placido Polanco at third base and Gerrit Stevenson the pitcher is fat a ninth and we are still awaiting the arrival of the Atlanta Braves on the field Kevin Millwood just coming out down lead the Braves onto the field no one usually likes to come out of the clubhouse a little bit late I guess if you want him to be out at a certain time you should tell anyone and out two or three minutes before they gotta pull him a little bit but you see its record for the season 10 and 13 of the 466 tra and that was a disappointing season for him but he's got a chance to erase all of those memories of a negative season by cranking up a good start here today for Atlanta he is a power pitcher hundred 268 strikeouts reflects them and they're going to be very aware of Kevin Millwood in the first inning Leo Mazzoni wants to make sure he doesn't get too big in his delivery and that his arm doesn't stretch too far behind his body he's got a stay compact he's got to utilize his power but he can't generate power by getting his body involved he wants him to leave with his hand the first inning is very important for Atlanta who shut down the Cardinals and allow the offense to get them the lead right end with us today this our friend Alvaro Martino Oh John the offensive game plan for the same buscar simple be aggressive and get that leadoff here on base now that's no different than any other baseball team that's what they want to do the difference is that the Cardinals have executed of 16 offensive anything with the leadoff hitter on 10 times now those 10 runners six have come around to score now they're gonna be aggressive even more aggressive than they've been against Glavine it matters hitting coach Mike Easler and leadoff hitter Fernando Lena told me we expect a lot of fastball from Kevin Millwood expect a lot of first pitch swings and early pitch swings from the st. Louis Cardinals the beginning of this game gentlemen all right overall overall will be with us down at be a level throughout the afternoon defensively for the Braves it's Jones and Jordan in the outfield and Andruw Jones does this ballpark better than anybody anything he is going to be an important player on defense because of the spacious territory out in the gaps this is a big ballpark and he knows he's got to cover a lot of ground there's a lot of room behind him he plays very shallow but he has the ability to get a jump on the ball and track down those shots in the gaps you knitted straight away for especially at into right-center there's a lot of real estate out there 392 the power alley in right-center at Turner Field 61 degrees is the gametime temperature Fernando vania stands in Evernote [Applause] three miles an hour and did not see anything like that from either Maddox or Glavine in the first two games hold it down the line deep into the corner this one [Applause] [Music] leading off the game and they have jumped out again from an amazingly unlikely source this time being a hit only for home runs in 487 advance in the regular year and one of those was it inside-the-park home run in San Francisco he was able to keep it fair you can see Lopez's setup outside the pitch was inside bill would missed his spot very badly and when he did that he gave in here inside fastball and he hammered it into right field in your interval with a swinging strike so Alvaro Martinez made the point that 16 previous settings the leadoff man had reached 10 times make that 11 times now and they have struck in the first inning again a six run first Tuesday a three-run first Thursday and one already here [Music] [Applause] rectory as the the look at the capacitive lights going a possibly parker's their style all year long they outscored their opponents by 57 runs in the first inning this year a much greater first-inning margin than any other team in the league but as difficult for Atlanta now because they don't have an explosive type of offense that they've had in the past several seasons they can't put up a whole bunch of crooked numbers there's Jim Edmonds he takes a call strike talking to Tony LaRussa before the game about some hitters like bonds and Piazza in that message ion series and many Tom bidders in these against how they don't do much hitting the two things a lot of it has been on base in front of your big hitters so that they have to hit for the after pitch goal and having big sluggers foul so Edmonds has come up with a lot of men on base and he's had a red-hot world Park getting right behind it you said you got like the absurd get men on the holiday break two pitches to hit in this series as he flies out here he will appeal descendants well he sure has and then he has the protection that will Clark batting behind in so it's a double-edged sword you deal with Edmonds and then you also have to deal with real Park but it doesn't make any difference the Fed then goes through the plate with nobody on now we'll find I mean Edmonds has been so hot the first two games it brings you back a little bit to will Clark back in 1989 when he had the incredible League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs while with the Giants fastball high one ball no strikes and a Chris Mark Grace had a red hunters brinstead had three hits in each of the first two games Edgar Martinez in 1995 he had three hits in each of the first two games against the Yankees that year and Edgar had just and incredible run in that washer to more three-hit games in that testify with the Yankees in 95 why don't wonder we'll find out the rusev didn't think that the brains were lied to the pitch to card in this game today and the Braves are going to come right out about pitching the will work Sam tell them a big I don't want him thinking about it I just told him to focus on each and every pitch and it's important that milord fricken number on the scoreboard get out of this inning with just a single run Clark jumping in that fast ball and ripping it foul down the right-field line we showed you the great numbers Park has in his head to hit match up with Millwood and I asked well I said what do you hit he said I've hit everything is that the only ball would stayed in the ballpark were to changeup away but identical fans full at him the slider and I've handled a curve ball so he has quite a wide variety of success against Kevin mill work chewed out nobody on one run in already for the Cardinals in the V Nia Homer 1 & 2 2 will fire for the strikeout so he gets Edmonds and Clark but it's Fernando Vania who takes a deep and again the Cardinals make the blade the Braves play from behind Turner Field Atlanta site of the 1996 Olympic Games and they sort of reworked it after that great Olympics and turns it into Turner Field home of the Braves and the perennial home of postseason baseball there's Bobby Cox but rarely had the Braves been in this kind of a dire circumstance this early in the postseason is Bobby Cox Pepsi Braves starting lineup for college short Andruw Jones and Center Chipper Jones at third and chipper has hit fairly well against Stephenson Galarraga and first Javier Lopez the catcher Brian Jordan in right Reggie Sanders in left Lockhart at 2nd Millwood the pitcher batting 9th that on the bound for the cart goes 16 game winner Garrett Stevenson and he's ready to work tattoo for cow promised a guy they really and they just started getting on base here against Stephenson who had a very good season they need him to set the tone he is but one hit in the series and it came in his first good back the first game he had for a single his only hit [Applause] howdy but Garrett Stevenson is 28 years of age [Applause] [Music] the guy that relies an awful lot on his command and putting the ball in play and that will bring the D pitch into the mix Langford Edmonds and drew very good speed in the outfield and Jim Edmonds much like Andrew Jones a gold-bug centerfielder he too is the guy that can go back and really track down the balls in the gap great catch in Game two in st. Louis going back towards Center over his shoulder and then as the ball sliced away forth from him he just reached out made a great catch Andrew Jones now first ball swinging [Applause] a lot of inexperienced or perhaps feeling some pressure whatever I mean he just walk the guy who pinches and he swings not only at the first baby swimming about that John a little impatience and Anderson where Stevenson that is had done upstairs with the fastball that Andrew just chases the high fastball and he had a chance to get the count in his favor right there and the Braves have to show a little more patience against Stevenson because he hasn't shown you that he's gonna throw strikes yet now Chipper Jones the Braves big Slugger again this year in the regular season it takes too long I mean so far Andruw Jones is now 1 for 6 in this series chippers had three hits and eight advance but they've been able to keep him in the ballpark and his hits have not met a whole lot he did drive in a run in Game two in the first inning on Thursday the outside edge from Stevenson one ball and one strike John because Stevenson is such a command pitcher in a finesse guy that has to hit the corners this is the first time that Hernandez has caught him all year long so it might take them an inning or two to really get on the same page carlos Hernandez the catcher and that's tuvalu on Stevenson in the Baltimore Orioles system then traded to the Phillies in 1997 and his first major league start was against Tony LaRussa's say though his Cardinals in 97 in August of that year he struck out 12 there goes his losses the BOK such a steal for profound has been good so far in this series into out to phase runners in Game one and this time he saw that Furcal got a great jump at first base take a look for car with his great jump and Hernandez tries to rush the throw and when he does that he never got a grip on the ball coming out of his glove look how quickly he shifts his body to get in position to throw but he never got a grip on the baseball and just flipped it out behind him three in one the countdown the judge is a right field [Applause] tagging is for Connor he'll move over to third base [Applause] Janna rocket coming up [Music] Alvaro Martinez downstairs John yesterday Garrett Stevenson spent couple of hours after the team bus left looking at video and apparently according to everybody in the pitching staff in the pitching coach that's what's made the difference between a player that last year's win time between double-a triple-a in the majors and a 17-game winner this year well Stephenson after he defeated the Braves here in Atlanta in late August he beat them twice pitched well against the both times Galarraga stands in and that is too high for ball one had they work out on Monday played catch on Thursday no problems and the rusev descended because the Braves have not had any success against Stephenson evicting Stephenson well enough to pitch is the guy calls back to the outside take a look at the shortstop here Renteria and then the second baseman pina how much of a gap they have left for Galarraga up the middle and that outside pitch is one that he can drive right up the middle chewing on the Khan to Galarraga Stevenson won't overpower you with fast Falls and there the numbers John had talked about and his new grade starts against Atlanta he won't touch 90 very often he will pitch in 87-88 with this basketball that buck showed us coming in to score for Carla tying run and it is one to one we talked about Chipper Jones and God needing to step up for this bar with steel got himself into scoring position and here's the shirt stuff and here's the second base from a lot of room up the middle for Andres Galarraga Stephenson comes with a curve ball and he hits the ground ball right up the middle and he ties the ballgame up with his first RBI of this series so Galarraga with a big smile on his face not hit much before that's a double play ball by [Applause] chewed out already twelve in a double-play though if they needed to get four outs in the in it they get the one at second and that's all they needed it's one to one we head to the second kringles one Braves won top of the second inning from Atlanta Game three of this National League Division Series and the Cardinals want me to wrap it up right here and have several days before getting into the League Championship Series that's a called strike to Ray Lankford the tone of the rusev has cautioned everyone in st. Louis not to celebrate prematurely Lankford left-handed slugger he got that inside pitch and tried to jerk it [Music] Bobby Cox made a couple of comments I think yesterday trying to invoke the memories of the 1996 NLCS between these same two clubs when his team had the three-game winning streak at the end after trailing three games to one he said hey it's the same situation we're well capable of winning three in a row distracts recall with the bigger hook and Langford is gone and John what no what is done with his curveball as he's backed off of it a little bit he's not throwing in quite so hard he struck out will Clarke with it in the first inning and right here look at the big break off the slow curveball catches the outside corner and it appears to me early in this game that Kevin Millwood is well in control of his emotions he's throwing a lot of strikes he looks very relaxed in as I mentioned before this is an opportunity for him to erase the memories of a disappointing regular season well he had his baptism under fire last October pitching that one hitter in Game two against the Astros and then getting the save in Game three at the Astrid no one on his throne 16 pitches in this game 14 were strikes on one the canape throw strikes like this all day long he could be dominating again that curveball down to the with 101 well John Leo Mazzoni was very concerned about the command of his strike zone and he was concerned about no words delivery getting warm and trying to generate velocity with his body but so far there was going to be thrilled before I know what he started two balls one strike one dough on the score second at a bright sunshiny day in Atlanta there's John Smoltz that is a big difference and think that it was the absence of Smoltz that might have gotten into the mind of early on a pop up the third shading the eyes to pajama it gets well John your point about John Smoltz is a good one there you see his record in the postseason well the vorlons very good er eh but when smokes went down Kevin Millwood was put into the three spot in the rotation behind Maddux and Glavine and without any prompting Kevin Millwood kind of decided that he had to be a little better with his control got away from his Franklin is JD drew that's falling away and it's funny how little things like that can affect a ballplayer because what's the difference you're facing the same teams the same headers the job is exactly the same but it's the idea I guess oh no you're not just the fourth man you're 30 - smokes unfairly got into us at home man I gotta be as good as John Smoltz I I better I better bring my game up a little bit and you see the difference in the two seasons but it's interesting little things like plaid player gets it in his head okay uh I'm gonna be like John Smoltz I'm gonna make better pitches with my cab and then they forget that they it took John Smoltz a number of seasons to get that command on a safe quality pitches he smokes for many years was the enigmatic an implementation of anything his drew takes strike two and they better than Maddux Glavine Avery Nagel named a guy small type of stuff but we harnessed at the last week and the breaking ball is the outside to have a slow curveball II tried to catch the outside corner the fans are trying to rally to the aid of their Braves you today [Applause] [Music] run occur but he took it low [Applause] [Music] despite having two strikes at either one of those two strike curveballs and he gets the wall he talked about his delivery and the concern is the arm he hide the body once he breaks his hands does it get too long and that's real good right there when that front foot hits the ground his arm is in a position right over the shoulder where he's driving toward his target he opens only has to be pleased with it to this point of the ballgame Placido Polanco now Polanco three hits seven at-bats all three of the citroen game one and he had the big head really in game one that turned that first-inning into a six run the counters on one polanco getting starts in all three of the games rather than Fernando Tati's has been the cardless regular third base for the last two years satis missed a good portion of this season with injury and then finish the year in a terrible slump so Polanco we had 316 in the regulation and the call runner goes the throw and that costume is chance locked I put it on the bounce then brought the glove back and drew was in there drew had 17 steals during the regular season and if this throw is all the way on the line then Lockhart doesn't have to raise his glove but it's short of second base and watch how the bounce takes his glove away from the bag and then he has to bring it down he's got the glove there he has to go up to take the shirt happen by the time he gets to go up back down off the bag it's too late third channels it again everybody's safe [Applause] with a ground ball back here in Atlanta the last game they played here was last Sunday and the last ground ball that he faced he did not feel then and that cost of the home-field advantage ultimately for this year when I had to be in his head too because that's a routine ground ball to third base he got back on his heels a little bit and even great players like Chipper Jones once you get something in your mind it's difficult to erase those negative thoughts the air on Sunday and then the air in the first inning in Game one and down a two-out air here is the kitchen Jared Stevenson the first would like to see Stephen should lead off the next day ideally Stevenson only three hits in 59 at-bats Oh 51 average but all three of his hits were doubles one ball one strike Chipper Jones made 25 errors at third base which is three poor two men on a walk to Drew a steal then the error Polanco at first Drew's at third pretty good pitch there fastball then Javy Lopez was written throw the ball back and he hesitated because he was surprised that my knew had called it a ball but he was ready to flip the ball back to Millwood in could believe that was the strike we won the game two on two-out pours it in there Jordan also there it's Andrew so the error does not cost them two men left it'll be Javier Lopez a rather Brian Jordan coming up when we return Carlos Juan Braves one last to the 2nd from Turner Field Atlanta Brian Jordan will be leading it off more baseball today the Giants and Mets game 3 the first one at Shea Stadium that's 4 o'clock Eastern on the Fox Network and then the Yankees hoping to clinch and move on for the win against the Athletics tonight at the big ballpark in the Bronx on NBC at 7:30 Eastern and 4:30 Pacific and then it's all followed by SportsCenter at 11:00 Eastern Time 8:00 Pacific with a complete round up reports friendly different venues the whole package all the highlights all the key plays and SportsCenter after the Yankees athletics game tonight from Yankee Stadium Brian Jordan the curveball in the air to right and JD Drew's [Applause] one man gone and Reggie Sanders coming up one two one is mrs. Garrett Stevenson went to spring training this year and even though he had done well in 12 starts at the tenant of last year going six and three he was ticketed for the bullpen but he pitched so well in spring training then when they had the chance to get Jim Edmonds by training their 18 game winner Kent Bottenfield they so great Stevenson's ready to replace it so that of course in my opinion really helped their season getting Edmonds well it sure did John that Mike Matheny was giving Stevenson some encouragement in between innings Feeney was his regular catcher for the season as I mentioned carlos hernandez is custom today it kept him at all during the regular season Matheny is like an assistant coach on the bench his wife his birth to a child yesterday as the Cardinal pitcher and kids wife also gave written to a child yesterday these are exciting times to be a cardinal both on and off the field to another cat to sandwich [Music] [Applause] Lockhart on day Stevenson was the national league pitcher of the month for May and they say he pitched almost as well in the month of August that was the month where he beat the Braves twice but it misses the Sanders again here Alvaro Martinez Danny vine downstairs well Garrett Stevenson it's a huge Mike Matheny fan so much so that he said at the end of games we're in such a groove I can't just take his hand I have to go out and hug him and by the way mr. Hengist wife Darlene gave birth of Madison and both mother and daughter doing quite fine all right so Amuro keeps up on the players and the social aspects of families and the children of the new children and all of that one out one on one to one the score to block finds a hitter down and away for ball one Stevenson won his first of the year Michael's had not had a starting pitcher then since Bob Gibson but they were scoring a ton of runs for him early on and they were concerned because he was not always pitching well when they were getting all of those big run totals and Tony LaRussa recalled that there was an early season conversation between Apple rusev and Stevenson about that but Eric Davis [Music] he just could not waste those opportunities sort of clicked in for Stevenson at some point on the ruse of melting having one of his peers his teammate Eric Davis talked to him about it really helped so to settle it and he went on to had a great big year for them well especially when you have a veteran like Eric Davis that has been around and especially when a hitter comes to you it talks to you about it living as a impact sinks in Oh got the call there two and one Stevenson is 24th pitch and only the ninth that he is thrown for a strike he walked the leadoff man in the first inning for Carl that eventually became a run he is walks and is now Sanders is again who could steal a base get captor Branca he's back to the bag good the pitcher Millwood is on day it is a good time to run Bobby Cox knows that it can start the runner hood I got a hold the chute floor on the right side and Lockhart is very good at pulling the ball it is not [Music] so the countdown to and to to Locker Sanders during the regular season still 21 bases and only got thrown out four times Joey's been a very fun to be able to contribute to this offense he is over eight four series and most pull up steals testimony did his speed and his ability to get a good jump run so far here he leaned a little bit and just as he did Stephen submit a soul but yeah he's thinking about it he was trying to time students that had had he gone to the plate he had a good jump right there let's not quiet this crowd it is very quiet and contrast that to what we saw in st. Louis when the Cardinals were battered we were hearing last night at Yankee Stadium in that game he's not running so like I really battling it out here with Stevenson to it to the count Bobby Cox in his move to but no but out there is saying to his team you know what didn't know what's capable of winning a ballgame and then we'll be in pretty good shape with Maddux and Glavine coming back for Game four in Game five if it continues I mean the way Bobby put it yesterday it almost sounded like he thought they were right where they wanted to be that's managing I remember Lou Piniella so when he played with the Yankees the Yankees have a big lead late in the season over the Orioles and then Earl Weaver would talk about all the Orioles had to do was just game one game a week and they'd finished three games ahead of it and but also by the time he finished hearing word Earl had to say thought oh my God we're in trouble we're too far ahead and back to the bag again is Sandi's well I mean really it's almost the psychology of it did Bobby talk Bobby Cox was trying to stretch and we got Millwood and we're not panicking we're not going with with Maddux today he'll be back on full rest tomorrow not might be could be he'll be back tomorrow on full rest then we got Glavine set up nicely for Game five we only have to win three in a row heck we won 15 in a row early this year we're well capable of winning three in a row we did it against these Cardinals back in 1996 in the postseason well the base apparently there's a problem with the bases might have loose from its moorings that baseball well they're doing a little bit of work on it to make some adjustments red you must've seen maybe a wire out of there - what's going on here so will Clark then Reggie said hey let's have a look at this base everything seems to be set now well sometimes you have a problem with the base like that you called the ground screw here they called an audio engineer do it to the cow it's almost like taking you backstage they're getting a look at the underside of the base but apparently it's okay now do it to the count to Lockhart Millwood on deck the pitcher 1 to 1 the score last of the second to show a little bit of life here big halt on the right side of the infield [Applause] Sanders not running so Lockhart falls to Stevenson after a long battle now they're gonna go out and replace the bag over there Sun is really bright here today in the bland athletic Polanco waving his arms let everybody know he's got it he takes it across the mouth and that could become a factor as this game goes along bright sunny day here in the gonna have a problem come on go back at third as Kevin Millwood takes the ball well now because the pitchers up with two down I mean you don't really expect Santa Stevens take any kind of a risk in terms of basically good do you no not at all see Stephenson doesn't think he's gonna run either he's not paying much attention to it because if you do get falling out of second base that you've got a deal with Bill with leading off the next step Kevin Millwood big guy he looks like he could hit just stand-in there during the year seven hits in 59 at-bats books are you see repeat one night only two RBIs big and strong looking though but he found he's one of those days if you throw it right where he's swinging he could be dangerous big rip and that one had a good cut at that one man fouled it straight back to into the count he's got to come back with a hook now he can't throw another fastball right down the middle like that well he was right on it but all they got was a line drive back to the screen to look from carlos hernandez the way he saw it he's right back tonight that is strike three called on the outside and the inning is over one man left we go to the third top of the order Vania Renteria and Edmonds coming up it's one to one ESPN's presentation of the division series is brought to you by American Airlines giving you more room throughout coach and by Texas Instruments the world leader in DSP and analog Turner Field Atlanta 1 to 1 the score Fernando Vania led off the game second pitch he saw from Kevin Millwood he hit out of the ballpark kind of a a stunning moment there vignette was not doing that very often during the regular season that's for sure and in the second time year for the Cardinals daily leadoff man hit one afterwards Mike he's been talk to him God has would he have hit change would he got can you just sit hard see ball they're not gonna pull the line today they want you to get on base I'm gonna fool around in Fernando very aggressive here grounding out to the shortstop for call and he is quickly retiring well what do you service having fernandomania was keep looking for the fastball no one's gonna challenge you to put it in play on the home run they were trying to go away with the fastball they missed inside bean you hit it out of the ballpark so Mike Easler saying they're not gonna change they don't want to fool around with you you're going to still get fastball Edgar Renteria that's one of them for strike the last time the Cardinals got a leadoff home run I mean leading off the game at a postseason day was the 1968 World Series Lou Brock hit a leadoff home run is a pretty good lead off hitter the name rings a bell he could run a little bit to lavinia back with his a hitting guru man who was known as they hit man when he played for the Pirates Mike Easley know first base up five dad Morrison on the appeal one ball and two strikes to Renteria he flied out to right center his first time very quiet crowd in Atlanta in the dirt with a curveball seems like some describe it trying to raise the the level of intensity among the fans but most of the fans haven't have not joined in and of course some fans aren't here yeah I think the fans have stayed home because those seats are all empty up there but this is a city that has become so used to these postseason games and he just kind of serves it out there at the right set of field so Renteria at the battling off some tough pitches ends up getting the hit against Millwood and now the power comes up Edmonds Clark and language three lefties in a row they wouldn't left the slider up in the strike zone 2 2 pitch you can see that Renteria just goes with it not trying to do a whole lot with it it's on the outside part of the plate right on the corner but he serves it right over the second baseman's head in the right field [Music] Renteria is aboard here is Jim Edmonds best ball I Canada was delivered out of a cloud of smoke was that the puff ball little rods about baseball when he unloaded Edmonds flied out to left his first time six hits in the 10 at-bats thus far in this series [Music] about 21 bases in the regular season [Music] - not the ball up here suddenly well all of a sudden this is a little bit of a pattern that fill with joke in the regular season he's a different pitcher when he's got base runners on tendency to lose command of the strike zone that one is hit high in the air deep in the right-center [Applause] he fell behind on the couch three-two-one st. Louis Edmunds seventh in the series his second homer of the series FinCEN camera no one with runners on this year they're heading to 97 against it compared to 235 with nobody on he's not been able to really make his pitches when he's got guys on and it's a fastball and Edmonds takes care of it look at the difference in the swing from Edmonds right there he used to be a frontside hitter now he's sitting back on his backside well Clark pops it up third base shaking the eyes [Music] Hipparchus quickly returned he's open to Jim Edmonds with 42 home runs this year and now to the postseason and take a look the front side stays back and then he delivers a powerful swing with the uppercut a true home run hitters swing and it's something that he has developed here in st. Louis under the guidance of Mike Easler he's really starting to learn how to hit the gym Edmonds used to look at the Hall of Famer Rod Carew in Anaheim as is hitting guru [Music] ball one strike that Evans who gave Carew a lot of the credit for success that he had in Anaheim he said that my Carew's like a father figure to him said chili Davis his former teammate there was like the older brother that he had never had since they taught him not only alum things about the game but about life in general but he has raised his whole game up to another level since coming here to the carcass John you made the point about Jim Edmonds having great postseason how so many star players don't perform well in the postseason and once again Edmonds comes through the plate with Brett Correa at first base and will park behind him so he gets a good fastball to hit and he takes advantage of that and you know even all the way down here in Atlanta but he hit that home run I could almost hear people in front of their television sets in the st. Louis area chanting MVP you know what I'm saying yeah I think you heard it too and they have really gotten behind Jim Edmonds since he is joined to Sparkle ball club 2 & 2 the count to Lankford tried to curb miss Battley within three balls two strikes grew up just a few miles from Anaheim Stadium and he was sort of a controversial figure for a long time in Anaheim guys didn't like him I guess it his own Clubhouse didn't like it but he had a bad attitude on the inside corner and Langford has struck out looking twice the Jim Edmonds launching one out of the park the Cardinals are ahead Tapley on over the Braves they're behind the game and in the series Carnales eight three two one as we look over and where the old launching pad used to be the old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium Jim Edmonds who has sort of resurrected his career in a big way and he talked to us about playing in front of those great fans in st. Louis it's one of the most unbelievable feelings I've ever had and I can't say it enough I hope the people in st. Louis realize that I appreciate it and I know what they're saying and I want to just jump up and down and wave and scream but I really can't and I hope they understand that and hopefully have to the end of the season I'll be able to recognize the fact that how much I appreciate what they've done and how much they've kind of been a part of my life this year did already kind of indicate how much he's enjoyed being in st. Louis but the fact that he's signed a six-year contract extension rather than going out on the open market who knows what kind of money he could have commanded on the open market the kind of year that he had Mike supplier told him you're gonna fall in love with this city if McGwire felt the same way he was not really that thrilled about going to st. Louis initially that's McGwire but then he fell in love with st. Louis into left field Langford goes back [Music] Paul is gone miss Big Mac AG just thrilled the crown is a facility I mean they love Edmonds will Clark has been a tremendous favorite but nothing seems to compare for Cardinal fans to Big Mac going deep now and when he came back and hit that pinch-hit home run against the Cubs it was his first at-bat since coming back from his injury they've hit a pinch-hit home run to win the ballgame it's a magical moment and he has him back for coming up with magical moments and coming Madusa talks about him the same vein as Joe Montana and Michael Jordan those big time clutch performers that can deliver in seemingly tough situations that nobody could deliver at them wire cam Andruw Jones the hitter they got a changeup on to a node 2 & 1 the cattle roam our teen is down it is well John Jim Edmonds told us yesterday that within a week of being in st. Louis he was ready to sign the extension Mark McGwire said wait wait about a month he did he never changed his mind went ahead and science June 1 the count has won him over in the first week st. Louis has got a phenomenal history of baseball tradition well I tell you one would you prefer me McGwire played an Oakland and he put in some great teams in Oakland and they drew some big crowds some of those [Music] jealous fouled out twice in this game two down and here is Chipper Jones three two one the car closed later but the word plated open Edmonds plated Anaheim they do prick pretty well in Anaheim as well but way the crowd responded to the players and sort of the level of noise in those ballparks and the response with the players it's entirely different it's a good tipper Jones loose one into the outfield for a base hit so chipper keeps the inning going down I'm grace got a rock with a chance to tie the game not John your point about open an anion is a good one because it's the west coast is California little laid-back and sinkholes gives you an air of bacon East Coast City Ronna life and here's Chipper Jones coming up with a base hit with two outs to keep the inning alive and inside fastball catches the corner in he fights it off that puts it in play now sets up adverse Galarraga Donna ragga singled home a run his first time his first RBI of the series [Applause] and the right set of fear but there's Edmunds [Applause] names the in it wanna hit one left we're going to the fourth inning the Braves are trailing in a game they must win three to one st. Louis sunshiny day a crisp autumnal day however in Atlanta in three well the cartload they are up three games are three two games to nothing but 3 2 1 is the score the Cardinals leading this game to wrap it up today did not want to have to face Maddox tomorrow could be tempting faceless Hernandez takes strike two hoping to prosper by beating Maddox twice consecutively call into the counter they have to face Maddox tomorrow futons will catch all the fly balls his way and Chipper Jones will catch all the grounders they play if they played a little better against Maddux on Tuesday it could have been a different result in that not a good throw as bad as those six runs in the first inning faced back at the back and Bobby Cox told you to keep that somehow get back in this game and scratch out a win second time around against Maddux and Glavine these numbers would be different the second time in 203 instances where the two at pitch consecutively that they each got roughed up as badly as they did both giving up four runs and then pitched innings the only other time was it pullies Field in Denver the initiatives that only happened the ones - atchoo the count [Music] probably acting a fan love jumped up and caught that boy yeah take a bow he's the man they react the more to that than they do to the Braves off the field as something happened that excited these people finally humming that one it's a cop foul back out of play so Millwood still with a 2 & 2 count here to carlos hernandez who is over 1 well John your point about facing Maddux and Glavine again in this series is one to Tony Larusso is well aware of he's going to play this game in his own words as if it were the seventh game of the World Series gonna all out to win today they'll hold nothing back he said really every one of their pitchers other than Darryl Kile is available to pitch and relief today of Stronach pitcher Garrett Stevenson to shortstop [Music] [Applause] but tonight on ESPN it's a vital Southeast Conference East showdown as Quincy Carter in the 19th ranked Georgia Bulldogs play host the Phillip Fulmer and the 21st ranked Tennessee Volunteers coverage begins at 7:00 Eastern on ESPN Tennessee has won nine straight against the dogs the Vols and the Bulldogs will be butting heads the key Jackson needs to save could get down and dirty in those trenches on the cat to JD Drew who walked his first time and stole a bag three-to-one Millwood and the brains are trailing the Cardinals during the fourth inning Wood has lost a lot of his sharpness the last couple of innings he's trying to getting the ball up really cost him against Edmonds on a 200 count Edmonds hit a high fastball for a homer in the third get this slider up above the belt here this sitting he did a couple of times different hand fastball misses two and one well even there he got a little long in his delivery in his front side opened up and that left his arm behind it was trailing and the only thing that he could do is that fastball ran up and out of the zone you were his catcher would you have run out there to talk to him about it you better talk about getting back out in front with your hand that don't brush your body and getting into your delivery the best way to do it for a pitcher is to call a breaking ball and that's with Javy Lopez did he called the slider but they've missed with that inside strain one two drew who's got a lot of power chases the high fastball chased ball four actually found it away three and two the reason you call a breaking ball out for pitcher is sown a ball up in a way is because then it makes him finish out in front of his body and that should get him back into a good delivery and that's what he did right there with that last pass three into the counter another high fastball he chased it again from shallow right field mm ah a drill just for some reason just Elise was intent on not walking in that advantage he's not having any success at all against Kevin Millwood just two hits in 11 at-bats now Placido Polanco comes up as Drew heads back through this favorite player he's a kid with Barry Bonds and he said the reason was Bonds was left-handed like himself but tens of it was some power who also ran well and he wanted to be like bonds he wanted it for average you wanted to steal bases hit home runs did gold Glover in the outfield and they feel that he's got the abilities to be all of those things Johnny made chromatic strides this year and after they went out got Jim Edmonds they didn't have to force JD drooling into Center and they could pick his spots much better it put him in situations where he could succeed here's Polanco the shortstop for calm the cat stretches out to bring it in that is the first three up three that anything know what is hand Xavier Lopez did Brian Jordan Cavanaugh three two one st. Louis ESPN's 2-minute drew Mondays and Thursdays at 7:00 hosted by Kenny man [Music] [Applause] [Music] that's so good [Music] dear mom I've lost control mail station email without the PC by CIDCO [Music] digital palm quarter with 3-way PC link from Panasonic just slightly ahead of our time you know ideas and inventions come from people in all walks of life do you have an idea for a new product or invention if so invention submission corporation has information to help you get started IOC is America's largest and better service firm call now and learn how to submit your idea to companies through IOC's databank and apply for a patent even if your idea is just to improve an existing product call for IOC's free information for your free inventors information call they don't always meld together immediately we've seen that I mean Baltimore LA it doesn't always just happen but this seem to be something with the chemistry with these particular guys and it all worked together real well especially after will Clark arrive although they play real well up till that time the will Clark filled the void in the lineup and also maybe helped out the clubhouse well John Walt Jocketty and Tony LaRussa were together with the Oakland Athletics and they understand the value of chemistry and character when you go out try to improve your ballpark I'm here Lopez to hit him against Garrett Stevenson he hit a ground ball into a force at his first time and he'll be followed by Brian Jordan and then Reggie Sanders they'll inspire the brains check swing at a height X ball two and one and Garen Stevenson he cannot really overlook the value that he has given to this club stepping in and replacing Bottenfield debacle did not have a very good year in Anaheim this year nor once he went to Philadelphia was the Cardinals best starting pitcher last year and they sort of have had him penciled in for a few wins again this year up the middle base in so Lopez gets the leadoff single Brian Jordan jim edmonds with a home run back in the third inning to put the Cardinals ahead for the man aboard this is the home run and then later on Mike Easler his hitting instructor commented about as Edmonds got back to the dugout you're mad you can hit flat-out hit yes he could hit that's for sure and my Geisler has done a good job of putting these hitters into the right frame of mind for this postseason is Brian Jordan change Ephraim Stevenson and it's Owen want Jordan flied out to right his first time he's for the sort of a guru of from ov on horizon all was in Boston Eastman was the hitting instructor there Barnes style was very similar to that of Mikey slurs and they really hit it off when he talked to Bo Vaughn about PI gay slur he said look at what those guys have done over there in st. Louis and he really has high regard for my Keyser's ability as a hitting coach he likes the high finish he likes the ability to go out there and really extend through the hitting zone stay behind the ball and really use that back side to develop our one two Jordan [Applause] open activity for the Braves Jordan is the sixth place hitter in the lineup Millwood would be due up in this inning if they could get a couple of men on base Mulholland the left-hander is up in the bullpen and would be ready if they want to pinch-hit here they get that far comes inside with it you see Stevenson having his own changeup fastball out fastball in there's Muhammad than the old friend Stevenson is not overpowering but he wants 16 games for the mission that's her breath money Braves hitting coach was back in again misses ball three so that they're trying to come up with a game plan against your experience of it I'm sure that they're talking about getting better pitches the fastballs away three into the count there goes to run struck him out Hernandez throw is there suddenly turns in favor of the Cardinals and Jordan could not make contact and I'm wondering if maybe the fact that Lopez is running worked against Jordan well he has been so good in this series it's a high fastball the pitch he should have put it put into play but with Lopez having kept her speed he's thrown out quite easily by carlos hernandez but you know that pitch and he taking it I think they would have called it ball four it looked like it was up out of the zone and look how pumped up her nemesis he has thrown very well in this series he's so not three out of four who have attempted this deal against it through Sanders now here's not obligated to swing in the 3-2 count with another going back how often do they swing just because they see that runner going they have the mindset I got to protect the runner but it was up it was obviously ball four and he would have really had something going and now a strike about full about and you've got Reggie Sanders hitting with two outs well apparently something is wrong with Jared Stevenson and we'll Clark comes over to the mound and ton of the Russa is heading out well look at will Clark he's very animated in his discussion with Stevenson and maybe this elbow has flared up on it the reason he missed was started back in September with tendinitis in his elbow it's a very concerned Tony LaRussa's out there he's making the move look at him look down to the bullpen he is going right to the bullpen in Stevenson has gonna leave this game Brad had to send the assistant trainer for the Cardinals out there also with Stevenson Ed Montague the home plate umpire and the whole Cardinals infield now Jeff what Clark came over from first base right away talked to Stevenson and there you see Brett rains if it's a well in relief in this series that's a very disappointed Gerrit Stevenson to be sure he had elbow tendonitis that knocked him out of the start he was throwing effectively here but he has to give way now and Britt dreams will come out of a Cardinal bullpen and his elbow hurts so much a month ago that Stevenson could not lift a small box he could not pick up his his kids and you can see the disappointment and he was pitching well he had to lead his first postseason experience you can see him looking at his elbow is in a lot of pain right now little Clark you talked about heading right over as he walked off the mound well what a tough time for Garrett Stevens his first postseason start obviously in a bunch pain right now a lot of paint with that global problem a starting pitcher understands I'm disappointing we're Stevenson Duncan the pitching coach number 18 he's gonna head back he's been getting steady treatment but here's when will Clark walked over from first base what's it this is before the last pitch will Clark walks over and talks to Stevenson and I'm assuming now that he's saying listen if you're hurt get out of here you don't need to put anything in stake and then he went back and threw another pitch and then will Clark came back over to talk to them again and Clark knew that he was hurt and after he threw the next pitch Stevenson shut it down and this is his last pitch right here Reggie Sanders at the plate he throws the pitch it's fouled off and you can see it kind of winces in pain the Clark had already come over now this is after that pitch he says listen if you're hurt you get out of here don't put yourself in jeopardy right now we've got other guys that can pitch here and court knew what was going on Stephenson was trying to battle through this inning but he couldn't do it because that elbow wouldn't allow it well he had thrown a strikeout pitch to Brian Jordan that turned into a double play and then only two pitches more and he was out of here so this bit of irony to the timing of the whole thing but we'll mark was right there and of course I mean this point is if you're not fully healthy that could turn into a run right like that boy you're right John and you don't want a picture out there not only to jeopardize his own career but put the lead at stake and park knew something was up with that elbow so he went out there and he talked to him and then finally after that foul ball off the bat of Reggie Sanders he went back to the mountains to listen this is not worth jeopardizing your career your health or our position in this post season so a very reluctant Tony LaRussa had to go to the mound and call down to the bullpen and call upon the rookie Brit Bream's to come out here in the fourth inning with two outs well we saw game two Thursday night at Pacific ballpark of the Giants med series the chance losing their 15 game winner Shawn Estes after only three innings of that game because of his poor base running spraining his ankle the cartons have to wonder if if Stevenson is gone for the rest of this postseason well this is the next of a last pitch from Garrett Stevenson looks like a changeup that he's going to throw the change-up and obviously this elbow problem was something that probably lingered throughout that's the strikeout and here's Stevenson back to the dugout obviously very upset and it's been a problem that has bothered him for about a month he had tendinitis in the elbow that flared up after his last start in August against Atlanta it got to the point where he couldn't pick up his child his farm really suffering with the tendinitis in his elbow he threw on Monday in st. Louis had a good workout date in the bullpen through very well came out here and got into a pretty good group with a pretty good rhythm but he had to give way now to that elbow problem and sudden fortune of preparing Stevenson in his first post-season start so Britt reams comes on at twenty seven-year-old a one-time minor league phenom himself he was the Cardinals minor league pitcher of the year 1996 but he had the so-called Tommy John surgery something very similar to what his current teammate Matt Morris had Morris has been coming back from dreams came to the big leagues in August when Andy Bennett said the the knee problems rings was used primarily as a starting pitcher did a great job for them but turn of the roots after their game one win kept going back to the people Sam and this happened Polanco this thing that they he can say no but I'm in awe of what Britt Reeves did he came in to a situation first and second Andres Galarraga in the seventh inning is the crazy trying to get back in the game he struck out Galarraga on three pitches he had a seven to four leaves and with two men on and then after striking out Galarraga he walked Brian Georgia load the bases but again Reggie Sanders and then Bobby Bonilla and they didn't even score so much as one run against him he had a 1-2-3 inning the next inning those are the seventh and eighth things of that game and he strikes out Sanders looking so Britt reams the rookie the inning is over we're going to the fifth three two one Cardinals Cardinals leading the Braves three to one in a day where they are trying to eliminate the Braves tomorrow here are these scenarios if there is a Game four here it will have it on ESPN the kringles of Braves and one Eastern noon central then it'll be the Giants and Mets game four from shave at 4:00 Eastern 1 Pacific and if the Yankees and athletics is still going at it in five the decider from Oakland 7:30 Eastern 4:30 Pacific if the Yankees win tonight though we would be back with Game four here tomorrow and then the Giants said Mets would be the prime time the first pitch is hit for a fly ball out by Britt reams and there is one away again the Yankees win tonight if there's a game for here tomorrow we'll have it at one o'clock noon central to the Mets on the Fox Network at 7:30 Eastern tonight's game the Yankees and the Athletics will be tempted televised by NBC at 7:30 and the Giants Mets four o'clock on the Fox Network that's later today the reams is gone the banner will be Fernando Vania who hit the second pitch of the day against Kevin Millwood for a home run first postseason home run to lead off a game by a cardinal since Lou Brock today in 1968 owner Wilson shows bunt he takes inside what ball to go strikes three-two-one st. Louis a very quiet subdued perhaps very tense crowd here in Atlanta and they the seven the Braves fans may be in a state of shock I mean the Braves fans who have been so accustomed to success especially these early rounds in the playoffs that they may have been asking one another is that legal [Music] [Applause] I don't remember they've been allowed in the past how they had a great record coming into this division series 15 and 2 in their divisional Series games and it did for lost back-to-back games and they find themselves in a must-win situation against st. Louis Kevin Millwood they strike that it's 2 & 2 to be [Applause] in his division series divorced when to the Rockies in 1995 they lost one of the Astros last year swept the Dodgers Astros Cubs and subtly down two games to none here I mean some of those Division Series ended up being so lopsided It was as if wow they're just offering up a sacrificial lamb for the Braves to feast on in this first round but that is not the case this red really in the nationally this year the four teams in the postseason extremely even they've won between 94 and 97 games it may not have been any different had they opened in Atlanta but to go back the last Sunday the fact that the brains could not hold their home field advantage over the Cardinals they had it they were one strike away from wrapping it up and Chipper Jones couldn't field the grounder and John Rocker could not get the third out all Florida v Mia an emotional swing thinking about opening up the divisional series here in Atlanta and then that night did it they could close out the deal they had a lead and hey Jeff Cirillo hits a ground ball to third Chipper Jones can't make a play on it Brent Mayne comes in to keep the inning alive and then Todd he'll know to pitch it's a home run into the seats in right field to give the Rockies the lead and when he hit that home run in st. Louis they put the score up on the scoreboard at Busch Stadium and the crowd went crazy and then just minutes after that great Paquette hit a home run to give the Cardinals the lead and the momentum and the home-field advantage had left Atlanta they've gone all the way in the st. Louis it wasn't just that the Braves lost the Tigers then had the win there this of course has not always good advantage had to be [Music] addition to baseball that all postseason series before the season discard on one account to Renteria who singled his last time just before Edmondson former to put the Cardinals ahead Renteria is 1 for 2 in the game being yet first with one out 2 or 3 years ago the Chairman hate team of the best record should play the wild card and the team with the second-best record should also be seated so these records during the regular season should mean something well even the way they had the home-field advantage back in 97 the Giants had the home-field advantage they got three games at home but they had to open up in Florida they end up getting swept down there and they home field advantage that meant nothing and the format there was you had to start with two games on the road there goes India and then you can't believe it [Music] gets into his face stand again in this situation the to run ball game in the fifth but being felt like he had his hand on the back when the tag was put on his back Lopez made a pretty strong throw that looked like bean he may have been in under the tag Larry y on the second base umpire had a pretty good angle on it but it looked as though that the tag from Lockhart was indeed on the back convenient he gets a good jump strong throw by Lopez and watch the tank tags him on the leg and it appeared as though bean you had already slipped past Lockhart and made contact oops much closer right there and you slow it down and Larry young before don't have the benefit of this slow motion replay made a quick call and it felt like the tag Pete pinion chewed out nobody on and a curveball down on the way for Renteria one ball in two strikes the go back to this whole notion of home field in other words the phrase many times in these postseason series in years past have not had home field and it didn't really make that much difference they were better and they won but the crazed monster [Music] the opposition they've always been clearly better especially going in with Glavine Maddux and Smoltz plus a succession of just 1/4 pictures [Music] she may have been critical importance to the movie the final analysis that ball three I think how quickly it happened job because they were playing as the ninth inning they were close to closing out their season probably thinking ahead to Tuesday work out here on the off day and play Tuesday and it would be hard to envision them playing this point as they played that first inning then st. Louis Tuesday had the game been here read to and he wants clothes one of the outside but that's the second consecutive walking out by Millwood and his fourth walk of the game and here comes Jim Edmonds again Edmonds in Game one launched a home run for the seventh run that was the fourth inning against Maddux in Game two he made this unbelievable catch and today with a 1-1 tie in the third inning on a 200 count and he knew it was gone well back into the Atlanta bullpen here's Edna for the chance to do more damage Renteria running [Music] Desiree just immediately took off there no hesitation whatsoever once again Javy Lopez skipped to throw into the bag and second base and he rushed his throw throw it into the ground and that enabled the Renteria to slide under the tag of firk out you see that hits in the grass he has to wait for the short hop it skips into second and Beria has the stolen base that was a real close play at second thanks tagged there by for Colin the fielding the one hop throw one and O two Edmonds - it on base is open but will Clarke the feather left he is on day well this is the point you made earlier about Edmonds hitting so well because he had people in front of him and behind them you see his numbers for the division series two home runs six RBIs and a very gaudy batting average in the high slider misses Rando John you could see by the way he takes pitches how well he see the ball right now there is no urgency whatsoever in his approach he's relaxed he's confident he's seen the ball very well out of Bill woods him we know the count Korea at 2nd and 4th Millwood committed a ball [Applause] [Music] for half of there was no of that right the middle of going into his set position and then it looked as though Lopez threw down another side for cow was trying to jockey in behind the base runner now watch he's in between yeah he moved his hand before he stepped off per cow had caught his eye he was breaking in behind the runner I read Sharia buffing down the line for the third tree and all the cat the bullpen is busy right now for the Braves and Millwood also has due up second in the last half of the city there in the fifth career Toto Edmonds [Music] sweet and one now go Clark on dang it's 82 pitches thrown by Millwood today given up a couple of home runs being led off the game with one and then Edmonds crushing one to right-center in the third [Music] and visiting 636 in the series another slider and it's - you throw three in one you can throw it three and two as well so he can come right back and put another gradient boys at a base open and no sense to really challenge admins with the fastball he'll the croc comes alive Atlanta fans rising to their feet and as they do Edmund steps away almost as if to to quiet them down because there he's messing with his eyes as if he got some dirt in her something she tested to make sure everything is set three balls two strikes Renteria at third another slider in the air to left field going back to Sanders still going back I'm singing to the seats for a double Renteria scores and Edmonds is a one-man game 8 for 12 in the series the body Katz is very emotional min that's ball it's slicing back toward the left fielder and Reggie Sanders over ran the ball and Edmonds got the pitch away from him didn't try to muscle it take a look at the pitch slider down he goes the other way it's slicing back toward the left fielder Reggie Sanders he runs the ball and missed waited he's got to make that play obviously here it's playing look at this they're making a switch right here Bobby Cox on the bench watching and can't believe it and look at the change now they're actually changing Bobby Bonilla and Reggie Sanders right here with two outs in the fifth the Sanders was the last man up in the fourth inning and so the new pitcher Mulholland will hit in his position and Bonilla will take over in the ninth position 401 st. Louis we'll be back so Kevin Millwood an early exit from this game and Jim Edmonds is the one who really does him in although again Atlanta continues to play poorly on defense but it could have been out of this inning they sure should have been out of the ending Reggie Sanders had to make that fire the slicing line drive a very catchable ball Bobby Bonilla came in on the double switch and they will be the third hitter the second hitter in the while Holland - will Clark and that's a ball outside but defensively they have not played well and Kevin Millwood actually did a pretty good job to keep frames in this ball game and he should have been out of that last inning in should have allowed just three runs what about no wood getting their pitch on 3 & 2 as suitable as it was there was a slider down and in but you got to give Edmondson credit because it was not that bad of pitch it was lows inside Edmonds just chose to go the other way which he has done so well this year and he's absolutely worn out the Braves in this search for doubles two homers and seven RBIs into three games in the fifth inning of the third one one a-two nada will target Clark has been quiet today is struck out and popped out over to now 2 for 8 in the series Tony LaRussa is quick to point out Clark had won a hit the loosen thought it was one of the big hits of the day a line drive RBI single in the very first inning against Greg Maddux John even though Clark hasn't had a hit in this game he's in added impact because of the numbers he put up against Kevin Millwood the bill would challenge Edmonds to put the ball in play Edmonds has a home run in an RBI double in three back is the specter of will Clark and his great success against bill would may have gotten Edmonds and pitches to hit wanted to the captain will pocket and certainly that's a role that mark mcgwire fills for Edmonds the first half of this year when Edmonds got up to an incredibly hot star and get us he's a pitcher they hit when Big Mac sit behind you pretty comfortable hitting a head up there but wire and will quite they can't afford to walk to get you up - now - world-class bands got it Dicky miss Terry Mulholland he and will Clark came up the same year with the San Francisco Giants 1986 [Applause] mom holidays been extremely well traveled since that time and he strikes out black with a high fastball by his own for three but Jim Edmonds strives in another one its 401 Cardinals last of the fifth coming up ESPN's presentation of the division series is brought to you by Michelin because so much is riding on your tires this could be it for the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 season down two games to none in this best of five and they are trailing 401 in this game last of the fifth and they've got a lot of time left to mount a comeback Britt reams on and relief of the injured Garrett Stevenson misses with a slider low to Keith Lockhart dreams a rookie out of the Citadel a seventeenth round draft choice who had the the radical surgery in his right elbow that caused him to miss all of 1997 and 98 and he pointed out that he had been a catcher in college after his first year in college he played in the Baltimore summer league a great well-known summer league for prospects to play that's a strike we paid for water yonce we know real well but longtime staff from Milwaukee y'all see you know you've got a good good arm I want to make you a pitcher and he did and he went 12 and 1 as a pitcher for that summer his first year as a pitcher went back to college makes the catch Lockhart is retired and there is one away pretty good job here today with not a sellout and included in the crowd is the former President Jimmy Carter studying his scorecard trying to figure who's left on the bench how's the bullpen look I could be spot this offensive got his Braves Calphalon it's you don't care we need something going right now Bobby Bonilla get us started maybe get back in this game slider too low to Bonilla well the symphony pitched in ecology pitch once a week signed professionally with the Cardinals and also he's pitching every fifth day and suddenly he needed surgery you think about surgery nowadays there's so many pictures cut back from the surgery actually healthier than they were before and because they have to rehab so much they get into a good routine of exercise you can take care of that on but accomplishes a great example interlocked you over the high that had Tommy John sir still close 100 miles an hour so hitches players in general have a tendency to take better care of their arms but they have problems it's a walk the Bobby Bonilla the board with one out of now the leadoff man Rafael Ford cow well as they were in Game one LaRussa's bullpeners are going to be severely tested again here they had to go six in a third innings out of the bullpen in that first game is Rick Ankiel got knocked out of the third and now with Stevenson having to leave with an injury the for both no one had to go five and a third innings to get through the ninth inning today that's a tough test for any bullpen sure is give me hitters a chance to see you again [Music] there is four cow he has walked and stolen a base and scored on his flight out shows bunt takes a sip homes by this year dreams coming back from the surgery began here in double life in Arkansas and had a six point one three earned run average their 1 1 the count people are getting hurt we traded at the triple-a level so finally got called up to triple-a really by default not because the pitching well but he put it together at Memphis who had sips into the 3.4 yar Venice got the bad knee as the best on their circle night and it was timing is everything in this game John it reams came up and made his debut on the 20th of August we don't need the sixth starting pitcher the Cardinals had used all you they're big five all who had strong years beautiful there's the the group of them out there in the Cardinal bullpen everybody is available today and that was supposed to be their weakness you know all the experts started assessing the strengths and weaknesses of these four teams internationally it was thought that the Cardinals maybe their Achilles heel was that their bullpen didn't match up runner going and that ball is fouled away Bonilla took off and foot-pound needing to protective here on Bobby Cox starting to try to generate some offense you'll remember he did it in the fourth inning when he had Javy Lopez at first base he had Brian Jordan at the plate with two strikes he started Lopez Jordan has been a hot hitter this series but he struck out on a high pitch and Lopez was thrown out so he's still trying to generate some offense and get something boy seems whatever the Braves do in this series it works out ferny and not running for town again found by the way will talk by the way come up the near running on the bag with cold plane behind him [Applause] well with the three-run lead Tony LaRussa stepped out of the dugout signal to Clark and wants you to play behind and don't get beat behind it try to keep them as close as you can from that position but I want to be behind them two and two and three and two now two four five and the green to give spark a couple of more steps of rain [Music] [Applause] range maybe he could knock the ball down and eliminate first inferred he may run again 3 & 2 the count Boni and not running down the right to your line defense foul still 3 & 2 - Raphael 4.com Kakao hits four home runs this year they all came late in the year in September is just like Fernando beanie a fastball on the inside part of the plate he's definitely hit a line drive home run out of here he's not a very big guy very fast and he's got some pop in his back the near Holden and a little follow up to the left so what Karl is really giving greens of work out here we call hit very well against the cartels during the regular season and as John mentioned he got a base hit in his first at-bat against st. Louis in this divisional series but he hasn't had a hit since 4.com steps in again 3 & 2 the count one hit intended bats for the series another foul that was the 10th pitch of this at-bat if they touch take something like this to get the Braves turned around here and if they get back rheems saw nothing but tough pitches here fighting one after the other off Bobby Cox needs somebody to step up and come up with a big budget he walks turned the hard way eleven pitches now the Braves had two men on and then got the big hitters up the 36 home run hitters Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones of the next two head is due up and that gets the crowd into it here Dave Duncan pops out of the third-base dugout comes out talks to his rookie right-hander with Renteria and Hernandez in on the meeting just to remind her listen ahead you've got a little lead here down with three runs use all of your pitches and let's try to make a good pitch right here to Andrew Jones greenspace Jones [Music] didn't face him in his relief [Music] Duncan back to the dugout the Cardinal bullpen meanwhile is quiet there's no warm-up activity going on there now the Braves fans that'll insinuate themselves into the action here and look bad today fouled out takes a fastball [Music] with the first baseman the first signs of the brains the four pitch walk before Kraus car by Stevenson and who swung at a bad ball the first pitch he found just a bit low on the arts [Applause] painting that outside that you you remember we had a Charlemagne Gurdjieff's talking tumors and I'm sure rentman find encourage Jones to be more selective at the place I could be to being in a second one Chipper Jones was on deck he'll have to wait an inning in cayenne struts crumbling for the braves again one Cardinals [Music] [Applause] [Music] in every game a hero and in some cases all three games the same hero the Cardinals Jim Edmonds has taken over this series the twelve he is set a Division Series record already been in three games actually two and a half games with four doubles and two homers six extra-base hits nobody has ever had more than five extra base hits in a division series before taking a strike from Terry Mulholland we start the sixth inning the Cardinals lead four to one John Jim Edmonds talked about is off the law does not disappoint he was and that way got into a slump there he was pulling off the ball he certainly rectified that he's driving the ball to all fields he's very very deliberate in his approach she's very smooth he could see that he's seen the ball so well and somewhere along the line although for edmonds because there's so many strong candidates be MVP award that slump may have cost him his chance of the MVP award Jonah on the count to Lankford he has struck out twice of this game Carlos and enjoy the cards one run three hits and one error for the Braves I was really a back-breaking finish to the brains fifth inning they had been given an opportunity to walk by the rookie Britt reams and they had their big hitters up there but Andruw Jones up there he has a count in his favor and suddenly well just like this it's hit right to the second baseman the ball takes beating you to the bag he steps on it throws the first face for the inning ending double play and the brave just can't come up with a big clutch hit that would have given Chipper Jones an opportunity to come to the plate with runners on and the Braves just have not been able to get anything together they can't put back-to-back hits together Andruw Jones on a one hit and eight at-bats in the series that one hit was a home run at the eighth billing after it was really not an issue anymore I remember last year Andrew the time to get to the World Series and they really needed some offense in the middle of the order they just were not generally anything against the Yankees and Andrew had the same problem destroy bad looking from over anxious sometimes we forget how young yes yeah still is it seems like he's been around forever well when you see will Clarke and Jim Edmonds a joint great both seasons it's reflective of where they are in their careers they're experienced players and they can Hammond with distractions in the postseason Jones despite going all the way back to 1996 and having two homers in his first game in the World Series that year against the Yankees he's only 23 years old and that's ball four to Langford drawn by Cardinal hitters just carry Lautenberg after the Atlanta bullpen Lankford Onix first in years past Lankford would have been a threat to run that would have been pretty interesting in this situation because Terry Mulholland may be the single most difficult pitcher to run against in either League he's got a real tricky move over there and he's gotten sort of a move that you would expect and then he's got this step off the slab snap throw move over there that's devastating has always been very difficult to run on you just can't get any kind of jump whatsoever against terrible home ball is hit into center field base hit for Hernandez thankfully snaps in seven days his first hit immediately Langford and Menendez it is a mindless thinking about a rally to put this one away carlos hernandez played 14 games in the postseason in 98 with a padres he hits a good pitch right there it's down in the zone and look at Langford not wanting to stray too far off the bag at first with Mulholland on the mound all they can do is advance the second base respectful of the great armed at the center of Andruw Jones well you know they talked about getting your lead and then there's a thing called the secondary leader and with Mulholland on the mound Langford had no secondary lead at all out of now he didn't want to bounce off too far here now is JD drew as the butter [Applause] I always have been advance Lankford over the third and is over the second so drew getting that one done right away and now Polanco will come up perfect execution by JD through he draws the third baseman away from the bag Chipper Jones has to charge right here and make the play and that's what you want you want the third baseman he'll think this fall so they advance both runners up 90 feet then you could see that Tony LaRussa think this game is over trying to LinkedIn their lead second and third one out Bobby Cox goes to his bullpen for light conversion we'll be back here's Kerry light and Berg down to try and keep the Braves alive in this one already trailing four to one was what is it second and third one out and policy dough Polanco coming to the plate Polanco who had the three hit game in Game one of this series including one of the biggest hits of the series his bases-loaded single of the first inning against Maddux were three nothing turned it into a six nothing game has come in for Atlanta as you saw there Lankford a third of Hernandez executive slight had blowin outside to Polanco one follicle strikes there's Ray Lankford who walked start off the inning carlos Hernandez at second whose single dissenter the crowd again very quiet lighten America face Palakkad game to have got him to fly to center field in 70 the reason that Tony LaRussa has gone the polanco in this series is because of his ability to put the ball in play that's very important obviously right here in sixth inning he wants to get a ball up of his own and he can drive over that drawn in infield at least to the outfit the pitcher reims is on deck but the Cardinals bullpen is busy [Music] that Big Mac has got a helmet on and the bat in his hands so really in this spot it's your light birds almost as if you would actually assume as James is heating up of the bullpen that it's Polanco batting with McGwire on deck what you need to do is really cried on Polanco and retire him make the base open [Music] Georgie you Facebook liar with two outs in the base open obviously you're gonna put him on [Applause] meanwhile brains bullpen is also busy [Music] - and - to Polanco there's Mike Remlinger a left-hander up in the Atlanta bullpen and to the pitchers spot he left and abetik Fernando Beach 401 st. Louis second and third one [Music] - Bert's made great pitches and mrs. bat everything has been away everything has been low he hasn't given Polanco anything that he could elevate and hit to the outfield he's talking to Fernando V Nia all the batters off right now it's Polanco trying to the kindest total command of this game slide in a second bobbled the straw [Applause] Lockhart took away his chance to get the speedy rave langford it is five to one st. Louis with head end is going to third well with the three-run cushion the Cardinals can gamble and they went on contact Langford with good speed Polanco hit it sharply right at Lockhart at second but Lockhart bobbled it good break from third by Langford and watch him step right over the shin guard of Javy Lopez if he slides it may have been a different story but the bobble was the important point of this entire play and look at Langford not sliding he steps right over the leg of the catcher Javy Lopez Lopez stepped up in front of home plate to block the path of the base runner but Langford stepped right over his foot on home plate but once again the defense of the Braves not coming through with a key play well now Eric Davis comes out of the st. Louis douga will be Davis rather than McGwire and again this was talked about before this series just a threat of McGwire could be enough to affect the other manager or maybe the opposing pitcher the reason you don't hit mcguire in this situation is because he can't run at all it's first the third with one out if he hits a ground ball it's gonna be a guaranteed DoublePlay Davis has good speed so you send him up here he had a sacrifice fly in st. Louis in Game two and you want him to elevate the ball first and third one out of McGwire hits the ground ball you're out of the inning david says he goes up there and actually sits on a breaking ball Convention and he got it and he was sitting on it it's a very good lowball hitter it's a pretty good matchup even though it's right-hander against right-hander life burke throws a lot of pitches down into zone and you can see big swing and he pulled out of that slider just at the end there goes the runner from first Beaumont go [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Davis now with runners at second and third again look at the great jump at first base by Polanco in a kind of a desperation throw by Javy Lopez once again it's shorter the market second three times today in this game he's bounced rose to second base again chases the high hard one of mrs. strike three or that fair reach back for a little extra well for the four seam fastball upstairs against David's wickedness Fernando Vania will come up talking about buck he elevates the fastball for Sabre straight over the top and just overpowers Eric Davis now Bobby Cox is coming out he's got the left hand to remand you ready in the bullpen for the Braves so many things going wrong sometimes it's the right loan the wrong with some and ground ball that's booted sometimes just the ground ball that's bobbled they're not making the plays [Music] Game three of the National League Division Series between the Cardinals and Braves the Cardinals ahead two games to none and leading this game 5 to 1 here's the Panasonic Cardinals in game box score but and Ivania at the second pitch of the game for a home run hitting in the leadoff spot and you're Renteria single and a walk as steelies scored a couple Jim Edmonds who has just been phenomenal in this series homer in the third to break a 1-1 tie an RBI double in the fifth 8 for 12 in the series he has set a division series record with six extra-base hits already Mike Remlinger comes on with the left-handed batting beanie at the plate and two runners in scoring position the Braves hopes in this game already growing fainter certain elevation Hernandez is in and Polanco is in it is seven to one say Luis Fernando V Nia first ball swinging again he has three RBIs in the game then they get things off on the right foot with that first inning home run to start the game [Music] he delivers here fernandomania in the lefty mr. Faison and just like that he boils the strategy three runs are in the carnival seven Atlanta one is turning into another route cards about sport the Braves in this series down twenty four to ten Edgar rentería lie down singled and scored walked and scored I think everybody surprised by the offense the Cardinals have been able to muster against the Braves obviously they got the Maddux and Glavine for 14 months in games one and two and now they are beating up off the bullpen Garrett Stevenson back out of the dugout down with his jacket I left the game was stiffness in his elbow how is the fastball by what ball and two strikes Fernando Vania we succeeded in their talking with Mike Easler [Music] everything worked out well for the carnage right now Stephenson went 3 and 2/3 while he was in there was pitching well Keith Lockhart [Music] that could have been much much different at Lockhart cleanly filled into ground ball hit by Polanco Chipper Jones coming up with the Braves down by six [Music] ESPN's presentation of the division series is brought to you by Mitsubishi Motors the 2001 gallant wake up and drive and by original Coors when you're an original you do it your own way our original Coors [Music] condos seven Atlanta one now last of the sixth inning and for the Braves just barely the faintest trace of a pulse at this moment Fernando Vania has been as responsible as anybody else or what the Cardinals have done especially here today Jim Edmonds has also been part of the the wrecking crew for the Cardinals Pina gets the base hit on the first pitch he sees from Mike Remlinger and then my Gator the hitting coach talks about the hit Sean Dunston right alongside you sir they're leading the cheers and Mike James on the pitch now pull the card votes Lavinia had the first inning home run in his first at-bat against Kevin Millwood hit an inside fastball out of the ballpark he's got three RBIs on the day this is a balanced attack the Cardinals will throw at you but the Braves who had two walks in the fifth inning from Britt reams and Andruw Jones up and Chipper Jones behind him with a chance to get right back in the game but look what happened Andruw Jones had an ending ending double play then in the top of the sixth inning the runners at second and third one out a ball hit to the second baseman Lockhart with the infield in he did not field it cleanly still made a play to the plate but too late to get Langford and that Balkan cleanly by Lockhart it's well possible the Braves moved out of sport at all danced sixth inning so I mean how dramatically is this game changed on a one swing of Andruw Jones back and ending in the double fired and then one rebuff on a ground ball to Keith Lockhart and suddenly instead of a chances there maybe chip away at the lead or even tie the game now they're down by six it was always the Braves that were the opportunistic team to take advantage of the opportunities it has been the Cardinals that have cashed in on braving the state's that was a swing of the miss [Applause] chipper did not realize the fans of glowing chipper were not initially running he apparently did not realize it first that Hernandez had missed the pitch but later they brought me the first still able to throw him out it was a belated reaction here's the spring of the best pitches away it goes off the glove of Hernandez and it takes him a while to react now watch Chipper Jones he takes it Hernandez caught it by the timer this retreat away and just barely in time to get Chipper Jones for the strikeout that's a tough throw because you're throwing right up the baseline is the baserunner closing in on Wilfork Andres Galarraga fouling it back to the screen Galarraga has singled homer on the only Braves run of the day and he has lined out to right 7 on the count 2 gamma rock slide it a second - men gone well I guess the the problem of your brain fed the chipper not being able to get the first and that ball is it's just the latest in a long line of buff's or in discretions that everyone just seems to cost the Braves every time it's just a different scenario for the Braves than there are used to coming back they have such a rich tradition of winning here in Atlanta a ritual October baseball 1997 and they had only gotten in because they were in a weak division they want only 84 games and on paper it was a mismatch and in reality it was a mismatch they thoroughly dismantled the Astros although Darryl Kile made it a tight first game the Braves win thoroughly trounced here as though they're the team that doesn't the law we're going to the seven Jim Edmonds coming up seven to one st. Louis seven one Cardinals we move to the seventh inning down from Atlanta I'm John Miller with buck Martinez and to Paul Bako has come on to catch now for Atlanta replacing Javier Lopez made the final out of the sixth inning [Music] and between innings one of the Atlanta trainers working on Lopez's knee this Eduardo Perez who has been Atlanta's number-two catcher at the catcher of choice for Greg Maddux for a few years out with an injury this year Bobby Cox hard to imagine this sort of a happenin to the Braves but the Cardinals awfully good Club Chipper Jones had said after the game one defeat he predicted it if the Braves were able to come back and win this series that they would win the whole world series because this Cardinal team was so strong they would be good enough to win at all if they could beat the Cardinals well so far they have not been nearly good enough to beat the Cardinals but Don you had mentioned that all for the national league teams are very close that pretty well balanced in the Giants are evenly matched ball clubs as well Jim Edmonds popping one away now Edmonds hit the home run in the third that broke a 1-1 tie on a 2 and O pitch in the fifth he doubled home run with two down to make it four to one but that double was an aborted app it is own should have been caught by a left fielder Reggie Sanders I in tight [Music] and a busted by his nose one ball and two strikes rev Richard came in and gave up the two-run base hit to Fernando media with two outs super six 1 & 2 the count strike three called on the inside Edmundston trains to Montague about the fall [Music] [Applause] over the inside fastball and Montague felt I could caught the inside quarter in reluctantly tax his fat back to the dugout take a look at this last bits Paco the Kip sir miss Montague a good look at it and evidence didn't agree with the call gives you an idea that might have been off the plate a tad one down here's will part but is that still one of those pitches though with two strikes yeah I think what's enough he got surprised a little bit by the fact that they came inside to him with the fastball that was the next pitch after they kind of buzz one right under his chin he's still on Montague one ball one strike down a little far a lot of times after they throw one up and in like that I hear the next ones down to the way the slider [Music] one or two will clock is over three John we heard Jim Edmonds thought if we started this game about the emotions of this ballclub and how they have really effectively channeled the emotions but you could see even the Zen that sits on the fence she still got a lot of emotions running even though it's seven the one here in the seventh inning this is a pretty tightly wrapped ballclub Slyder bounced foul by will park one ball two strikes there's Edmonds in park together those two guys are very intense and they're feeding off of this postseason energy well Clark was stuck in Baltimore in a very very regretful situation thinking that boy his 2000 season it was going to be a write-off then he was dealt the st. Louis two balls Tuesday well Hill Park certainly realized right away how much talent there wasn't this kind of walk Club when he arrived there but also seemed to feed off the energy inspired by that great crowd at Busch Stadium Chris his first home game at Busch Stadium was a game against the Braves check swing and a foul back this way to a 2-2 will clark will clark responded to that not just energy of the crowd but the appreciation for the crowd they they loved him before he ever had swung a bat in Bush did go to the counter three balls and two strikes two will park the park had immediate success and the crowd immediately loved it one of those things to grow they love me more now bring it to the counter well they gave to eat a huge hole runner gets blinded wipe down a two-front gravely mark mcgwire went down with the be in Korea Walt Jocketty introduces if you know what he couldn't have come up with a better replacement for Mark McGwire than will for me to the cap very deep a great foul and they came out will Clark because they were pursuing an opportunity and this is the ovation that will Clark got when he stepped in for his first at-bat against Tom prophet and then the first pitch and then he got brought out for the encore wave of the hat I mean that's one of those incredible moments the ovations and he had hit step away and then damaged the crowd a couple of times then finally stepped in for his first at-bat there and on the first pitch against Tom Glavine the Homer shallow right-center could be trouble nobody gets there [Applause] without happy about it [Music] even with the left-handed hitter up there Andrew Jones is the brains do with almost every left-handed hitter was well over toward left-center [Music] instead too far to go yeah I couldn't get to it they play everybody opposite they pitch everybody away in general and will quark we're gonna keep him down there and see where he was set up they having to look at the catcher ball was away he pops it up he thinks it's going to be a pop-up in and out but Lockhart can't make a play Jones he's got too far to run it base hit for crunch [Music] now Ray Lankford the hitter and he takes ball one Langford has struck out twice and walk his walk in the sixth inning precipitated a three-run rally for the Cardinals which really broke this one open 7 to 188 that spider swung at the count one ball and one strike well the last postseason series for the Braves before this one was the 1999 World Series in which they were swept by the New York Yankees unlike this series Game one of that one in three of that one could easily have gone to the Braves that is a base hit to right field Clark the second he'll hold there the breasts could easily have had a two games to one lead over the year last October the Yankees made comebacks in the late innings against Maddux and Glavine and games 1 & 3 + laminate had a serious bout blue that it came down with the day before the series started kept him talking game and even so both he and Maddux pitched Banyon in their efforts Maddux had helped one nothing into the eighth inning against the point being they were swept in that series now their next postseason series they're in the process of being swept again but this one is completely different I mean this is if the Braves have all almost never been any in the first game they had chances to come back and could never get a clutch in yeah the offense is bid for but this wasn't for Bobby Cox they pitch it even though they're two stutters that roughed up they had a chance to come back and both of those kids the offense hasn't been able to come up at put any hits together found any come back against the st. Louis cut she went oh the count to carlos hernandez Chipper Jones Andruw Jones the Revere smugglers 36 home runs at least Andres Galarraga good RBIs coming back from cancer just the one RBI for him Brian Jordan had four RBIs those first two games he was the exception he was the guy who did get the clutch hits especially Game one today and they have just utter failure for the brains getting the one run of the first they've been shut down since although they've had opportunities [Music] George's swinging and missing at what looked to be ball for the chicken will double play in the fourth [Applause] [Music] the batter will be JD Drew but for all of that I mean the Cardinals Banco and game one made of the six run in Italy in the first inning of the first game Fernando vino today and again with the Braves really wanted to shut them down and get going early themselves and then hit the second pitcher to get out of the park yeah not the most likely guy in baseball to lead off a game of the home run you set yourself up to deal with the part of the order that we're in yeah then for dance fernandomania steps up there and you're trying to keep him off base and the pitch by bill wasn't meant to be outside of with an inside fastball and he rips the line drive into the seats and that really got me rage in a hole Worley JD Drew is walk [Music] to love since third-base umpire Ted Barrett two balls no strikes well the Cardinals hold on to this one their next game will not be until Wednesday that's what the National League Championship Series is scheduled to begin Giants and the Mets are still battling to find out which one of those teams [Music] two heads to left last amethyst epidemic seven to one st. Louis it's the Cardinal seven the Braves won a game three of this division series of the National League here is the Atlanta of Panasonic in-game box store that wanted to show one RBI Andres Galarraga two-out RBI single in the first inning Braves too many hits in this game not too many in this series frankoc Kent on to play third base down for st. Louis against Mike James is Brian Jordan Jordan has five out to right and struck out into a double play for two on deck is wally joyner to pinch-hit for Mike Remlinger only three hits for the branch today the third Pikeville pitcher Stevenson started left the game of the fourth inning with two down elbow pain stiffness in the elbow as the report reams picked up for him went one and a third innings giving up no runs James has pitched one scoreless inning since he came on this is his second inning too far in 2 & 1 the count James although he's a veteran he's about a big league Express he were the Angels a teammate of Jim Edmonds when they were both in Anaheim and of the best of friends but he also had the Tommy John elbow surgery as did Britt Reeves center field going back to his head [Music] but the two of them dreams now three of the third scoreless innings in this series and James now 3 and 2/3 for the summation cats easy to look at the frames and say well they're starting pitching really let them down but you can also look at the offense say you know what we have not been able to cluster much offense against the st. Louis Cardinals and the bullpen in particular has come in at throttle they Braves often gate - Kyle was magnificent but in Game one it was the Cardinal bullpen that bailed them out six and a third innings of pitching that day and so far today 2 and 2/3 innings and Game one in game 3 that's a total of nine innings pitched without allowing an earned run out of the bullpen wally joyner is the pinch hitter in the seventh spot of the order pinch-hitting for round to count one ball and one strike job the both heads in baseball of yourself so important for managers but you try to get those last outs of a ball game if you've worked into the seventh that the offensive teams around baseball can score so often that the bullpen become very important the specialist you have guys that goes out any Renteria [Music] she meant gone in the Atlantis seventh-inning 701 Cardinals are leading and Keith Lockhart is going to come on by the way we got a report from the crackle pop house that seafood Polanco replaced here by pot Kent has left the game with tight tightness in his left hamstring his Lockhart he's popped to third and popped to short open to sigh ball 1 7:01 st. Louis last of the 7th Giants and Mets will be playing very shortly at Shea Stadium the pivotal game in swing game at best a five-piece game 3 puts one of those teams in charge of the series engineer falling off beam IAM makes the catch it's a quick quietening two perfect innings of pitch pitching for James 8 bending coming up seven to one Cardinals Crangle seven Braves 1 we go to the top of the eighth inning here in Atlanta the Cardinals just a couple of innings away from celebrating tomorrow night Sunday Night Football 8:30 Eastern on ESPN a big game of the AFC Central Jimmy Smith in the Jacksonville Jaguars against Tony banks of the Baltimore Ravens coverage begins at 7:30 Eastern with primetime and then the football game on ESPN the worldwide leader in sports is Andy Ashby down in the eighth inning Craig Paquette will leadoff against him and then the pitchers spot due up and look who's come out on deck for the Cardinals there he is Big Mac Mark McGwire will hit second in the inning got a pinch of that bat in Thursday's game late game already well in the kiteless favor that really it just electrified the crowd just a fitting cap to a great day in Game two in st. Louis if that whole time to centerfield off Michael Remlinger will have a chance to bat here in the eighth inning gotcha he takes a ball outside one ball no strikes Bobcat on opening day when McGuire was unable to go because his back was crossing into trouble he made discarded his face and had a three-run homer an opening day and then the final game of the season in his final attack he hit another three-run homer to help secure the home-field advantage after the Braves had lost their name that he lead here book in 3-run homers by Craig pocket in his first wagon from his final swing John one thing Tony larysa does is he utilizes his tire roster it makes everybody feel in court it gets everybody involved there is carlos Hernandez with Craig out [Music] [Applause] but you keep everybody activity a situation like might repeating if you have her name [Music] [Applause] [Music] and here's mark mcgwire [Music] it's a very [Applause] ovation from the [Music] the two met ago wire as a pinch-hitter his career he has had seven home runs as a pensioner and only 53 at-bats that is the best active homerun ratio as a pinch hitter among all players one a pitch at over Furby 6.1 inch in advance doesn't seem like much but it's important that Tony LaRussa gifts but why are the pitch hitting opportunities as you look ahead to the National League Championship Series and potentially the world soon [Music] there is Fernando b1 of days Cardinals off to the quick start leading off the game with a home run and later of the sixth inning two-run single and that was really the back break of the crusher this one was 5 to 1 at that time [Music] brave still could have harbored visions of a comeback but suddenly the seven-to-one empty his to run second of the six yeah just been a a great pickup never they made so many pickups but sometimes hisses overlooked that was that first [Music] and he hammered a line drive to get the cars off the running gear to first city you talked about the acquisition of meat yet the holy is a give Abilene out guy but he certainly sure something he hits up the middle [Music] arrange out there the igniter at the top of the order and you look at this lineup it's very balanced did it maybe one of the most pivotal at-bats of this whole series was Polanco zat bat game off but they came up with a big two bucks a beam you down on strikes Ashby with the hard sinker catchy but it was earlier when they needed the dinner 701 st. Louis ESPN's coverage of the nationally division series between the Cardinals of race continues from Turner Field 701 to score later on Fox the Giants in the Mets game three at Shea Stadium in that hard-fought series then tonight the Yankees will try and celebrate at the big ballpark in the Bronx against the Athletics the endlichs in a must-win situation that's on NBC at 7:30 tomorrow if necessary this game at one otherwise it will be the Giants and Mets game for at Shea four o'clock on ESPN if the Yankees and athletics is still going which would be on the Fox Network and 7:30 tomorrow yes Ben if this score holds up the Cardinals are leading seven to one is Bobby Bonilla stands it against Matt Morris the new title pitcher but if this score ends up this way this series will be over we would have a game on ESPN tomorrow would be if the Yankees actually lost tonight in which case we would have the Mets Giants game for you at 4 o'clock Eastern tomorrow Lankford takes care of it Bobby retired for one away for Atlanta and Raphael for cow things being deceiving the first pitch of this division series was thrown by a rookie Rick Ankiel to this rookie Raphael for cow and for Kyle headed for a base hit that was definitely not an open an omen for the Rays that's had kill sitting down in the cartels bullpen today like everybody else except trial available pitch in this game what was an omen was that a little bit later in that inning after his single in that first game when the count went to - uh no to Chipper Jones for calm decided to transmute them and he was thrown out things have been going the Braves ever since for cow again retired he has not had another hidden since leading off that first game those of you who have tuned in looking for golf coverage four o'clock here is the leaderboard at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill third round it's over on ESPN two right now tuned in looking for that fax wait this is going to be fine espn2 check it out buck and I feel strongly that it's best probably and less confusing if you just stay right here of course and then the golf will appear when the game is over but it's meaningful and we'll watch the rest of this game is the Cardinals and hang on not the Braves can come up with a late-game rally Andruw Jones down the right-field line that is twisting foul [Music] he's been around so long and he gets so much incredible ability but he probably put more work in this offseason leading into this season than he ever had before Nintendo this is dad down in his native Curacao who really encouraged him to do it because Andrew gets home safe well he seems over he likes to go home see his friends his mom and dad and his dad said listen it's time for you to move it up go to that next you've got to put the work in make this a year-round thing and be better prepared for the start of next season and that's what Andrew did this Dan search right the second beam is frozen out the long winter will soon be upon the Braves the way it's going now we go to the ninth 7:01 Cardinals 701 the Cardinals leading as we go to the ninth inning Jim Edmonds as we take a look at the a the game summary here this copyrighted telecast is presented by authority of the Commissioner of baseball to may not be reproduced or retransmitted in any form and the accounts and descriptions of this game may not be disseminated without express written consent and log on to Major League Baseball comm for the most complete baseball coverage on the Internet check it out thanks to Major League Baseball to the commissioner Bud Selig Paul beeston first pitch been involved in two different rallies retired here Mendeley baseball broadcasting department Leslie Sullivan is a big help to us Bernadette McDonald chuck torres [Music] outstanding year in Major League Baseball excellent pennant races drama right up to the end Sammy Sosa 50 home runs [Music] outstanding in 1998 we had the great home run race wire in social roles in the pennant race this year well we sure did Tom fireman with his 21 wins led the National League in that department Greg Maddux with other 19 win season is so much history surrounding this Braves ballclub tradition of winning and it appears as though they're gonna fall short again this year all on the count two edges Oh into the count now the question is becoming more and more evident that the Cardinals are going to move on to the League Championship Series well those of race will have Chipper Jones and Galarraga coming up in the last of the night slider bounced foul with that still on - here's the question of home-field advantage again if the Cardinals were to play the Mets if the Mets beat the Giants the Chronicles would have the home-field advantage as they get ready for the champagne celebration in the Cardinal clubhouse here at Turner Field Barry Weinberg the trainer with the plastic gun and that's too low for basket one ball two strike if they played the Giants however if the Giants prevailed over the Mets that series on Wednesday would open at Pacific Bell Park if they were to play the Mets they would open up and for stadium next Wednesday we saw them that seemed to make pretty big difference in this series although they've come here to Atlanta and that has meant almost nothing at all to the Braves today they've been thoroughly trounced during their own ballpark yeah but the difference was in fact the Cardinals got to play at home they've got off to a great start ride the momentum enthusiasm of the whole crowd at Busch Stadium and the Giants all year long have been tremendous it back Bell Park and they would like to open up the national championship series out of their gourds the Mets have a lot to say about that the next would like to open the national championship series out there in st. Louis that would be fine with them the Mets I guess you would say would like to see the Cardinals open at a home in the League Championship Series there's only one way that could happen beat the Giants they're tied one game to one playing in three today at Shea will Clark the hitter 1 for 4 in this game not really involved in the offense today Chipper Jones will get his perhaps elastic back the 2000 season as we've got a rocket Galarraga who may be in his final game as an Atlanta brave baby in this final game is a big eager that will have to be determined in the offseason when we talk about Jones in Galarraga having an impact for Cal's gonna have many more at-bats as the Atlanta Braves play short or second next unit being irregular either position Jones is 23 is going to be stationed in that center field position for Atlanta for a long time but you have to start to wonder just what the bladder does is they prepare for the 2001 season a lot of Park III agents off the market then we start talking free agents with the braised and stained beer starts to warm up one guy that could become a free agent if they don't take up his option is their own John small will Clark cold out on strikes the inning is over two strong innings there from Ashby the Cardinals need three outs more and they will have won this division series we'll be back Crangle seven Braves won three outs needed now for the Cardinals and they will have won this division series over the Braves in shocking fashion was anticipated as it as a tough series that could well go five games the Cardinals are about to wrap up in the minimum three coming up next on ESPN PGA golf the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill third-round coverage which currently is being seen over on espn2 ten Braves in a row have been retired by the combination of Rheims James and Morris and now the closer de Vere's comes on and as amazing as it is in this kind of a game I mean a championship game in the division series he's really coming on here and get some work in I mean he won't have a game opportunity most likely again until Wednesday the bullpen has certainly been very very good for Tony LaRussa doing this series over the third innings that was just seven hits allowed had beers as five it closed out that run the Braves have not had a base hit since the leadoff single in the fourth inning by Javy Lopez and it reflects just how tough the Cardinals bullpen has been dreams today and ending in the third no runs no hits although he walked to come with me James two perfect innings Morris one perfect inning and by the way even those those total numbers for the series are a little bit misleading the two earned runs that they allowed were in the blowout on Thursday after the game was no longer an issue Mike Timlin give up a couple of runs when he inherited a nine to two lead in the eighth Vinick fears the Chipper Jones Sheppard who of course came to terms and a long contract extension during the season he's one of those guys who appeared to be headed for free agency but will now be a brave for many years to come this promise to be a long winter for chipper and his teammates and a real disappointing finish it's a it's as if they never recovered I mean you could say it's not related at all but that ninth inning with two down against Colorado last Sunday they fell apart the Rockies scored seven runs and beat them and cost them their home field advantage in this series it's like they've never recovered since and John Rocker who gave it up after the Chipper Jones Amer last Sunday basically was a nonentity in this series to get in there very briefly in Game one very very tough division series for the Braves and you're right I think that's something ninth-inning really had an impact on this division series I'm glad I'm sure was hoping and a shot coming back in the game five Reggie Sanders today [Music] Chipper Jones down on strikes one for for today and four chippers or for 12 in the series but no home runs only one RBI now got araga and with Galarraga a poignancy to this advant now at age 40 he has already said if he has not resigned by the Braves to be brought back for next year he will likely retire tremendous comeback season for him only to fish finish on a disappointing division series against st. Louis he has driven in the only run to that was back in the first inning ghana Raja who overcame so much just to get to this season battling for his life against cancer and then the question was how much would he have to offer after missing it for you obviously he had a lot to offer raise were 24 and 3 this year when Galarraga hit a home run and he started hitting home runs almost immediately right away he was one of the hottest home run hitters in the league in the first month of the season began playing professionally in 1979 and the beers were displayed outside one ball and two strikes they just didn't know what they were gonna get from Montrose Galarraga they were hopeful that he would be able to return to the court that he had in 1998 for Atlanta but because that was so uncertain they went out brought in Wally Joyner a veteran first baseman but Galarraga Aintree with a 300 season drove in a hundred twenty eight homers and it's a 2000 career hit in New York this year he's named to his fifth all-star team that's a ball outside two balls and two strikes [Music] mark mcgwire are they home run as a pinch-hitter Thursday will Clark with a huge three-run homer against Glavine on Thursday Galarraga hanging in there two balls two strikes Fernando vino has been big throughout the series but especially big today Jim had been this rarely has anybody especially a big star player have done what Evans has done of this series in postseason play in his first go around that post season quite read to to the big time players dreamed about getting an opportunity to come up during the course of a meeting pro game in the postseason at Jim Edmonds certainly is living out a dream in this first round of divisional fight Galarraga 10 homeruns in April including a grand slam against the Giants Levon Hernandez in a game in this ballpark Galarraga who is a great hero in his native Venezuela will this end it all for him 3 2 pitch getting fouled back to the screen I mean the Braves have to make those decisions now we're certainly senator could enter into it but Donna rocket will be 40 years old yeah it's probably Bobby Cox says she'd miss but with a bunch of different star players over the years three and two to Galarraga the shortstop Edgar Renteria Rosina the Cardinal fans and there are many Cardinal fans spread out throughout this ballpark today many in their red shirts they're almost up mistakable hundred there are many other red shirts in this ballpark today and they are getting ready to cheer a Division Series championship for the Cardinals one out more and Paul Bako Labatt here instead of Javier Lopez ready to leave the game in the seventh even prepared knee problems [Music] [Applause] that's in there first right John me his masters were picked by many to be the champs in the central in the National League and the Cardinals built a ballclub with 15 new players they went out there they built up the pitching staff other ones are worth picking Houston were picking Cincinnati with their new centerfielder ken griffey jr. John sure holds when it's all said done we'll have a track record to match any general manager in the history of the game Kansas City and here in Atlanta what success he's had with clubs in both cities but here in the year 2000 Walt Jocketty has certainly got to receive the accolades for the club that he he was able to put together because the colonel had three dismal years in a row since they won a division title in 96 one into the county and Baco fouled it away the Cardinal fans on their feet he said most of them are really down behind that third-base side dugout near the krinkle dugout and they have been fine-tuning this Cardinal team all season long picked up years of all the Delft tiles Colorado to down and tonight 1 & 2 the count and the splitter ends it and the Cardinals complete their thorough dismantling of the former National League champion of matter Braves and the celebration begins the st. Louis Cardinals out early thoroughly rinsing the Braves three games to none [Music] [Applause] [Applause] by the end of the summer you took the Giants of the Braves the mints and I think many considered the Cardinals the least likely of those four to be a threat in the postseason where the acquisition of to give them that centerfielder they impact hitter in their lineup even when they lost mark the bar they would have and he was a dramatic part of the offense but the pending staff was prevailed led by Darryl Kile [Music] really stretched out their rotation who put this team together and the dramatic and that mike matheny victim carlos hernandez a veteran catcher give admits in his first four seasons with the fatal [Applause] they have swept the iguana Heindel fans hundreds of them behind the dugout still up and cheering st. Louis Cardinals who have wanted to here in Atlanta the progress I'm scoring them 20 more to ten in this series and now the question for them is where will they start the league championship series on the the banks of the mighty Mississippi in their home ballpark or on the banks of McCovey Cove and we'll Park it at the Renteria Jose Oquendo the coach JD drew Carlos Menendez Fernando Tati's run of the rusyn Jim Edmonds got out of the field [Music] who let those dogs out but John you can see by the reaction of the players that [Applause] in the Atlanta Braves and even though it's a lopsided sweep there is relief because they were able to get the Kevin Millwood and it was Fernando B Nia's weight off home run and then a big two-run single by me me against mark Remlinger that sparked the offense today a balanced attack but Tony LaRussa the manager been through this several times and he made it gamble he started breaking heel in Game one against Greg Maddux and it did have the intended effect because it was Darryl power start Game two with the Cardinals up one game to none and tile delivered a great start well it sort of brought out the the old phrase be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid and he was it was a bold move one that could have backfired and for what she would have been severely criticized but he made the bold move and here's the result it's there for all to see another Volvo was starting Polanco at third base in place of Fernando Tati's and then the first inning Pollock was first at bat he got a two-run single off Greg Maddux the spark that six run first inning in a divisional series and set the tone for the cartel took out the home run hitter and went with a singles hitter and it was full on toast first inning single in Game one that started what we're saying now popping of the champagne corks [Applause] Jeremie shaft down to the clubhouse okay we're here with will Clark Fernando media will will Fernando obviously a tremendous victory you probably you definitely thought you could beat the Karl's did you think the Braves did you think you can sweep well I'll tell you what we uh we went out there and we battled and this man right here set the tone you know Jimmy Edmonds is our MVP but this man set the tone the whole series Fernando the home run in the first inning what were your thoughts is your face of Kevin Owens I just knew we had to go out and try to get these going early and score some runs because they got a great team over there no one's debate pitcher and I just wanted to go up there get a good pitch to thank God his out well when you came here on July 31st did you ever imagine it could end up this good I'll tell you what it's getting better that's all it is it's getting better and when I first showed up just as a special ballclub I said it from the start these guys accepted me right away and you know what it's getting better it's getting better I mean these guys are peaking at the right time they're playing great how much did the home field advantage beat you guys to miss series not having to start here at Turner Field it meant a lot I mean playing at home our fans are the best fans around ever in the whole world and playing at home was special for us and it was a good way for us to get going and take the Willa here man he brings so much to our club and he's been so many plays best amazing appreciate his leadership that he helps me with well how much is Jim Edmonds been to your success here it's unbelievable I mean you know Fernando sets the table but then Jimmy mops it up and he's our MVP he showed it out here in this series he came through in the clutch the whole series and we're gonna go celebrate with him a little bit real thanks Nana thanks very much back of you John all right Jamie themselves in our chanting MVP as Edmondson as the road and those carpet fans here celebrating evening as I know thousands of Cardinal fans back in st. Louis are doing the same will Clark's weather market iguanas chilling the braids or weeping because the cards are sleeping yeah that's a pretty well sums it up here dad's world Clark revitalized here in a curtain a uniform it started Edmonds in Game one in the fourth inning with a homer - there was a that was almost stupefying and then today and a11 time the food in him he broke the time with a 2-run shot into the bulton to make it 3 2 1 and jim edmonds 8 414 with jeremy shaft division series if there were one clearly you would be the MVP how gratifying is I've been working hard all year and Mike James stepping in to celebrate I'm afraid the celebration may take long [Music] Jim you get the champagne out of your eyes your first postseason Jim do you ever imagine it could be this joy just like the rest of the year so special all year long and a great bunch of guys I think I keep saying it over and over no one deserves this better than this team and in the city that we play for so I'm just happy to be a part of it and glad that we can play the good baseball and start of the postseason Sheehan thanks very much back to John all right Jeremy so congratulations to Tony LaRussa and the st. Louis Cardinals a great season and and an unexpectedly great post season thus far as they just clobber the Atlanta Braves seven to one the final we will have another game for you tomorrow if the Yankees lose tonight to Oakland we'll be back from New York tomorrow as for now John Miller Alvaro Martinez buck Martinez so long [Music]

Channel: Cardinals Baseball Classics

Views: 4,351

Keywords: mlb, baseball, mlb baseball, 2000 NLDS, 2000 division series, st. louis cardinals, 2000 st. louis cardinals, atlanta braves, fernando vina, jim edmonds, will clark, tony la russa, dave duncan, bobby cox, garrett stephenson, 2000 nlds game three, 2000 nlds game 3

Id: PpC8R0EzSWQ

Length: 168min 29sec (10109 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 28 2018