With a trip to the World Series on the line, Cardinals starting pitcher Jeff Suppan outpitched that year’s National League Cy Young Award winner, Roger Clemens, to win Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS and send St. Louis to the World Series for the first time in 17 years.
Suppan, 29, had signed with the Cardinals the previous December and responded with the best season of his career. On a staff that included Chris Carpenter, Matt Morris, Jason Marquis, and Woody Williams, Suppan led St. Louis with a career-high 16 wins and a 4.16 ERA (Carpenter, Morris, and Marquis each won 15 games).
Nonetheless, Suppan matched up against Clemens four times that season and Clemens had emerged victorious each time, including Game 3 of the NLCS, when Clemens held the Cards to just two runs over seven innings. In that contest, Suppan threw six innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks.
Early in Game 7, it looked as though Suppan might be in for another loss at the hands of Clemens and the Astros. On his fourth pitch of the night, Craig Biggio launched a solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole.
“Trying to stay out of the big inning was the key,” Suppan said. “If I walked somebody or gave up a solo home run, that was probably going to happen. I just had to stay out of the big innings.”[1]
If it weren’t for an incredible diving catch by Jim Edmonds, the Astros may have gotten that big inning in the second. After Jeff Kent and Jose Vizcaino reached base, Brad Ausmus hit a drive into the left-field gap only to see Edmonds run the ball down and then make a diving grab.
“I don’t want to say it cost us the game, but it ultimately turned the game in the Cardinals’ favor,” Ausmus said. “If that gets over Jimmy’s head, you’re looking at two runs in and a man on second. It’s a 3-0 game. That was a great play – and it went a long way to helping them win Game 7.”[2]
On the Fox broadcast, Edmonds’ grab was replayed five times. Astros bench coach John Tamargo, who was wearing a microphone, was beside himself.
“How in the world did he make that play?” he exclaimed. “Son of a gun.”[3]
“The guy’s been a human highlight film his entire career,” said broadcaster Bob Brenly.[4]
The importance of the catch wasn’t lost on the Cardinals dugout.
“That catch right there saved the game for us,” said Cardinals pitcher Woody Williams. “I said, ‘He just saved the game.’”[5]
“It basically kept me in the game,” agreed Suppan. “I was going pitch by pitch and giving it everything I had and he comes up like that … That’s the type of stuff that makes us the team we are.”[6]
The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Edmonds’ attempt to throw Carlos Beltran out at third skipped past both Scott Rolen and Suppan, who was backing up the play.
The Cardinals cut that lead in half in bottom of the inning. With Tony Womack on third, Tony La Russa called for a suicide squeeze with Suppan at the plate and one out. When Suppan successfully laid down the bunt, Womack scored easily.
“I screwed up one earlier in the year and I made sure I got this one down,” Suppan said. “When I got the sign, I just made sure I got it down.”[7]
The Cardinals took control of the game in the sixth inning. Roger Cedeno entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Suppan and singled. After Edgar Renteria and Larry Walker each grounded out, Albert Pujols jumped on a 1-and-2 pitch from Clemens to double down the left-field line and score Cedeno.
“I knew I had to get a base hit there to tie the game,” Pujols said.[8]
On Clemens’ next pitch, Rolen lined a 343-foot homer to left that put the Cardinals ahead 4-2.
“When we were little kids, this is what we did in the backyard,” Rolen said. “You were your favorite team and playing your rival and you’re in the World Series in Game 7. … It’s just a day that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life.”[9]
With Suppan out of the game, Kiko Calero and Julian Tavarez each threw scoreless innings. In the eighth, Larry Walker added a key insurance run, grounding an RBI single into right field to give St. Louis a 5-2 lead.
In the ninth, Jason Isringhausen retired Kent, Morgan Ensberg, and Vizcaino in order to secure his third save of the postseason and send the Cardinals to the World Series for the 16th time in franchise history.
“When we were getting ready to win, I took time to think about Jack (Buck) and Darryl (Kile),” La Russa said. “I think about the people in this organization that have treated all of us so great.”[10]
Suppan earned the win after allowing just one earned run over six innings. He held the Astros to just three hits and two walks while striking out six.
“That was a situation where that is an unbelievable team, the Astros,” Suppan said. “They’re a bunch of gamers and they play the game right and they play it well. I knew I was going to give up a couple of runs. I just tried to stay out of the big inning.”[11]
“Suppan did an amazing job,” Cardinals outfielder Reggie Sanders said. “You have to give credit to Suppan. He kept us in the ballgame long enough where we could bust out a couple of home runs.”[12]
Clemens allowed four earned runs over six innings.
“Any time you go against Roger, it’s a pleasure,” Suppan said. “You know it’s going to be a battle. He’s definitely one of the best. I played with him and I learned a lot from him. It was a very memorable night for me to go up against him again.”[13]
After the game, Pujols was named the NLCS MVP. In the seven games, he went 14-for-28 (.500) with four homers, nine RBIs, and an NLCS-record 28 stolen bases. Unfortunately, the Cardinals’ dominance of the National League didn’t carry over to the World Series, where they fell to the Red Sox in four games.
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[1] Lori Schontz, “Suppan: key was avoiding the big inning,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 22, 2004.
[2] Norm Sanders, “Edmonds’ diving catch changed game’s tide,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[3] Dan Caesar, “Shannon’s thrilling call of HR is one to remember,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 22, 2004.
[4] Dan Caesar, “Shannon’s thrilling call of HR is one to remember,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 22, 2004.
[5] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards go national with win over Astros,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[6] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[7] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[8] David Wilhelm, “Pujols earns MVP after stellar series,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[9] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards go national with win over Astros,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[10] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards go national with win over Astros,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[11] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[12] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.
[13] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.