Jim Edmonds was just looking for a single when he launched the biggest home run of his career, walking off Game 6 of the 2004 NLCS with a two-run, 12th-inning home run that pulled the Cardinals within a win of their first World Series appearance in 17 years.
On October 20, 2004, Edmonds’ walk-off shot capped a 6-4 win over Houston and sent the Cardinals to their first playoff Game 7 since the 1996 NLCS. The shot came just two days after the Astros’ Jeff Kent hit a three-run, walk-off home run to win Game 5.
“This is what it’s all about,” Edmonds said. “I think we all watched TV as kids and we hear and read all the stuff that’s said and written. We finally get to play in Game 7. I mean, it’s better than going home.”[1]
Edmonds put the exclamation mark on a game that featured several Cardinals heroes.
After Lance Berkman put the Astros on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first, Albert Pujols answered against Houston starting pitcher Peter Munro. With leadoff man Tony Womack on first, Pujols sent a 1-and-2 pitch over the left-field wall to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Pujols’ home run – his sixth in 11 career postseason games – gave him eight RBIs in the NLCS.
The Astros tied the game with two outs in the third inning when Carlos Beltran singled and then scored on a Jeff Bagwell double to left field.
Once again, however, the Cardinals answered. After Pujols and Scott Rolen alertly advanced when Edmonds hit a fly ball to medium left field, both runners were able to score when Edgar Renteria singled up the middle.
“You need to score somehow,” Pujols said. “You’re at home here. You want to get the crowd involved. There are 52,000 people out there. … You want to create something.”[2]
Renteria’s hit chased Astros starting pitcher Peter Munro from the game after just 2 1/3 innings.
Cardinals starting pitcher Matt Morris handed the Cardinals’ bullpen a 4-3 lead after five innings of work. Ray King and Kiko Calero combined for two scoreless innings to get the game to closer Jason Isringhausen, who threw a scoreless eighth before he was sent back out for the ninth and a chance at his first multi-inning save since April 28, 2003.
Two days earlier, in Game 5, Isringhausen retired four Astros before Kent hit his game-winning three-run homer.
“It’s that time of year,” Isringhausen said. “It’s pretty simple. You leave it all out there because there’s nothing left if you lose.”[3]
The Astros had the same attitude. Morgan Esberg worked a 2-and-2 count before he was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, placing him in scoring position for Bagwell’s two-out, game-tying single to left field. The Cardinals had intentionally walked the switch-hitting Beltran to bring Bagwell to the plate.
Suddenly, it felt as though momentum was on the Astros’ side, especially when they brought their own star closer, Brad Lidge, into the game. Lidge had posted a 1.90 ERA and 29 saves during the regular season, earning Cy Young Award votes in his first campaign as the Astros’ closer.
Lidge’s total numbers were pedestrian compared to his dominance of St. Louis. In eight regular-season games against Lidge, the Cardinals were just 1-for-30 (.033) with 16 strikeouts. They were little better to that point in the NLCS, as Lidge had allowed just one hit in five innings (1-for-15, .067) while striking out nine. In Game 6, he continued that success, retiring all nine batters he faced and striking out five.
After Isringhausen retired the Astros in order in the 10th, the Cardinals turned to an unexpected candidate: Tavarez. The 31-year-old reliever had suffered the loss in Game 4 when he allowed Beltran’s solo home run, which proved to be the game winner. After allowing Beltran’s blast, he buzzed a pitch past Bagwell’s head that drew a $10,000 fine.
When he returned to the dugout, Tavarez only made matters worse, punching the bullpen phone and breaking two fingers on his left (non-pitching) hand. When Tavarez finally calmed down, he realized that everyone from league officials to the coaching staff to his fellow players were disappointed in the way he reacted. When he called his father Francisco in Miami, Tavarez discovered that even his own family had little sympathy for him.
“I called him and said, ‘Dad, guess what? I’ve got two broken fingers.’ He said, ‘Good, you deserve it. You get no sympathy from me. Now go out there and prove you can do it. Go on and pitch.’”[4]
He went on to do exactly that, even though his broken fingers had swollen his hand to twice its normal size.
“Everyone has been concerned,” Tavarez said. “I told Tony (La Russa), ‘Please, I can do it.’ Everybody has been upset about this. I told him today I can pitch and tonight I wanted to prove it.”[5]
With Tavarez unable to close his glove to catch the ball, catcher Mike Matheny had to soft toss the ball back to the pitcher. Tavarez would then catch the ball with both hands, using his pitching hand to catch the ball against the outside of his glove.
The unconventional method worked. Tavarez retired the side in order in the 11th and 12th innings.
“I think the biggest thing for us was Tavarez coming in and giving us an energetic inning,” Edmonds said. “After all he went through, all the negative publicity he got … people don’t know what kind of a person he really is. He just came out there and energized the crowd, energized us, and he got us going.”[6]
“He’s a good guy,” catcher Mike Matheny said. “He’s embarrassed by what happened, but I think everyone in here has come to know him and like him.”[7]
The Cardinals sent the middle of their lineup to the plate for the bottom of the 12th. Pujols led off the inning with a walk before Astros reliever Dan Miceli got Rolen to fly out. Then, on the second pitch of his at-bat, Edmonds pulled an 0-and-1 pitch 405 feet to right field for just the sixth walk-off home run in NLCS history.
“I was just trying to get a hit,” Edmonds said. “I figured if I could hit something hard in the gap or (get) another base hit, he would run hard to get to third and we would get a chance to score somehow. I was just looking for a ball to get a good swing at. I wasn’t trying to go deep. I was trying to hit the ball hard. Thank God for that. We get to play tomorrow.”[8]
“Actually, I felt a lot like an idiot because when he swung at that first one, I was yelling at him, ‘Hit a line drive. Let’s get first and third,’” La Russa said. “I just wanted him to hit a line drive.”[9]
It was Edmonds’ second home run of the series and his third of the postseason.
“The biggest hit of my career,” Edmonds said. “This is what it’s all about. What a great feeling.”[10]
Meanwhile, it was Miceli’s third loss of the postseason, including Game 2 of the NLDS vs. the Braves and Game 2 of the NLCS. Edmonds’ blast marked the fourth home run he had allowed in 4 2/3 postseason innings.
“It’s been a tough postseason for me,” Miceli said. “I’m fine, I’m healthy, I’m just making bad pitches. It’s tough, but it’s tough for the whole team.”[11]
With a trip to the World Series on the line in Game 7, Jeff Suppan outpitched Roger Clemens and the Cardinals captured their first National League championship since 1987. Pujols, who went 14-for-28 (.500) with four homers, nine RBIs, and an NLCS-record 28 total bases, was named the series MVP.
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[1] Joe Strauss, “Jim Dandy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 2004.
[2] Joe Strauss, “Jim Dandy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 2004.
[3] Joe Strauss, “Jim Dandy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 2004.
[4] Joe Strauss, “Jim Dandy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 2004.
[5] Joe Strauss, “Jim Dandy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 2004.
[6] Joe Strauss, “Jim Dandy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 2004.
[7] Joe Strauss, “Jim Dandy,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 2004.
[8] David Wilhelm, “Edmonds homer brings a victory,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 21, 2004.
[9] David Wilhelm, “Edmonds homer brings a victory,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 21, 2004.
[10] T.R. Sullivan, “Cards force Game 7; Astros turn to Clemens,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 21, 2004.
[11] T.R. Sullivan, “Cards force Game 7; Astros turn to Clemens,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 21, 2004.