Cardinals Capture Division Championship
S T. L O U I S, Sept. 21 -- Call Jim Edmonds the St. Louis Cardinals’surrogate Big Mac.
Edmonds’ bat carried the St. Louis offense much of the year, andhis grand slam kick-started the 11-6 victory over the HoustonAstros that clinched the NL Central championship Wednesday night.
After Edmonds’ third-inning slam, the Cardinals homered fourmore times — two each by Ray Lankford and Craig Paquette — to wintheir first division title since 1996.
“I didn’t think it’d be this long,” said Lankford, one of only three players left from the last title. “But it’s sweet. It’s good to be back and we’re definitely going to make the most of it.”
The Cardinals are the first team in the major leagues to clincha postseason berth.
“Edmonds got it started, and we were relentless,” manager TonyLa Russa shouted during a raucous post-game champagne-sprayingcelebration in the clubhouse. “It was just a relentless night.”
A Team Effort
Edmonds has a career-high 41 homers, eight more than hisprevious best in 1995. His power has helped fill the void left byMark McGwire, who missed two months with a knee injury and has beenreduced to pinch-hitting since being activated Sept. 8.
McGwire, 3-for-8 with two homers since his return, was a bitplayer in the clincher. He was hit by a pitch leading off thebottom of the eighth, then removed for a pinch runner because he’sstill having difficulty running and bending.
It’s extremely doubtful he’ll be able to play first base whenthe playoffs begin in the first week of October. But after theclincher, McGwire roamed the clubhouse in search of teammates tospray with champagne, happy not to be the focal point for once.
“This is what baseball is all about,” McGwire shouted. “This is what I’ve been trying to preach the last couple years. It’s a team sport.”
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