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The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2011. Some people forget that - it was a whole five years ago already.
In route to that World Series, the Cardinals first had to make and improbably comeback to surpass the Braves and take the Wild Card playoff spot. And they did! And rest is, as they say, history.
On this date in 2011 the Cardinals defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates in a decisive 7-2 victory at PNC Park. The Birdos got off to a quick start and did not look back, putting up three runs in the first inning with a two-run homer from Allen Craig and an RBI single from Yadier Molina.
The Pirates struck back against Kyle Lohse in bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer by Jose Tabata, but the Cardinals cobbled together a run the next half inning to take a two-run lead. Craig went on to hit his second homer of the game in the seventh and he, along with Lance Berkman, collected an RBI on a single in the top of the eighth to round out the scoring and secure the win. Lohse finished the game after seven innings pitched with seven strikeouts to one walk and both Pirate runs.
With the Braves loss, the Cardinals ended the day six back of a playoff spot with thirty-eight games remaining.
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KNOW THINE ENEMY...
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the nl central