“It had to be one of the best baseball games ever played,” said Wainwright, the team’s rookie closer. “Just unbelievable tension right to the last pitch.”[1]

A Hard-Fought Game From the Start

Coming off a 4-2 loss in Game 6, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa turned to veteran starter Jeff Suppan, who had thrown eight shutout innings in a 5-0 victory in Game 3. La Russa also opted to use his sixth different lineup of the series, moving Molina from eighth to seventh in the order while dropping Ronnie Belliard to eighth.

That decision ultimately proved key to the victory.

Both teams scored early. In the first inning, David Wright singled to drive in Carlos Beltrán for a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals answered an inning later when Belliard laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Jim Edmonds from third, tying the game 1-1.

Endy Chavez’s Incredible Catch

From there, both starting pitchers took command. Mets starter Óliver Pérez allowed just four hits through the first five innings, but trouble arose when he walked Edmonds with one out in the sixth. The free pass drew Mets manager Willie Randolph out of the dugout, and after a brief chat, Mets fans applauded when Randolph walked away, leaving his young starter in the game.

The decision almost backfired.

On the next pitch, Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen hit a high fly ball that seemed destined for the stands. Mets left fielder Endy Chavez, however, timed his leap perfectly, pulling the ball back from over the wall and doubling off Edmonds at first base to end the inning.

“It was an unbelievable play – I thought it went over the fence,” Rolen said.[2]

“It seemed like destiny was on our side,” Mets closer Billy Wagner said.[3]

Jeff Suppan Delivers Seven Strong Innings

Suppan delivered seven strong innings, working around five walks while allowing just two hits. Across his two NLCS starts, Suppan allowed just one run on five hits in 15 innings.

“I never thought I’d be in a situation like this,” Suppan said. “We got here because we focused on what we had to focus on and we were able to persevere.”[4]

After Suppan walked Beltrán to open the eighth, La Russa called on reliever Randy Flores, who delivered in the high-pressure moment. Flores struck out Carlos Delgado and Wright before getting Shawn Green to ground out, keeping the game tied 1-1.

Yadier Molina’s Clutch Home Run

The deadlock continued into the ninth inning. Mets reliever Aaron Heilman returned to the mound for his second inning of work after a scoreless eighth. This time, however, he ran into trouble. With one out, Rolen singled to left, setting the stage for Molina.

The Cardinals’ 23-year-old catcher had hit just .216 during the regular season, but was the team’s hottest hitter during the postseason, batting .333 with two homers and a team-high seven RBIs.

His hot streak continued when Heilman hung a changeup.

“It’s great. A great feeling,” Molina said. “It’s the best moment of my life.”[5]

“I just wanted to look for my pitch and put a good swing on it,” he added. “If it’s not there, I don’t swing.”[6]

“Obviously, he’s been seeing the ball a lot better the last couple of weeks,” said Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. “Right now, when we need him, he’s coming through with some big hits for us.”[7]

Adam Wainwright Saves the Game

For the bottom of the ninth, La Russa once again called upon Wainwright, the highly touted rookie who had inherited the closer’s job following a season-ending injury to Jason Isringhausen.

As was usual for the 2006 Cardinals, it didn’t come easy. José Valentín and Chavez each singled to open the inning. With Heilman’s place coming up in the batting order, Randolph called upon Cliff Floyd to pinch hit. Wainwright struck him out looking, then got José Reyes to line out to center. A five-pitch walk to Paul Lo Duca, however, brought Beltrán to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.

Wainwright struck him out on three pitches, including a sharp curveball that caught Beltrán looking to end the game.

“Unbelievable. I was so happy,” Wainwright said. “When I got him 0-2, I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to make one more good pitch. One more great pitch and let’s go to the Series.’”[8]

On KTRS, former Cardinals star Mike Shannon called the final pitch: “The 0-2 delivery. Curve, struck him out looking! The Cardinals are going to Michigan to take on the Tigers! They mob, they mob Adam Wainwright on the mound! They are National League champions and headed toward Detroit as they mob the pitcher and now Yadier Molina. In come the bullpenners to pile on! The Cardinals have won this game 3-1 on a two-run home run by their catcher, Yadier Molina.”

In 2024, Wainwright replied to a social media post to explain that Molina’s pitch-calling made the strikeout possible, beginning with the first-pitch changeup that Beltrán watched for a strike.

“You can tell it kind of confused him,” Wainwright wrote. “What rookie pitcher would have the stones to throw his fourth-best pitch in that situation to start an at-bat? One that was too confident to know better and who trusted his catcher completely.”

Furthermore, the Cardinals’ scouting report said that while Beltrán would be aggressive early in the count, he would be patient the deeper he got into the at-bat.

“We knew he’d be aggressive early and in the middle of the count, but if he fell behind, (he) would be super patient based off previous at-bats against us,” Wainwright recalled. “A conversation with Yadi before the game led to the strike 3 pitch. A gamble to throw it in the zone. But homework pays off.”

That was kinda fun….

Couple things to know here:

1. People asking why he took the first pitch. That was a changeup. Masterfully called by the best defensive catcher to ever live. As fate would have it I started that in off the plate and worked it back to the inside part.

— Adam Wainwright (@UncleCharlie50) October 19, 2024

A Season Defined by Resilience

With their 90^th win of the season, the Cardinals set a date to face the Tigers in the World Series. Detroit had swept the Athletics in the ALCS earlier that week.

“It’s been a unique season because we’ve had so many ups and downs,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said. “We’ve had so many injuries, a new ballpark, uncertain how things are going to play out. Having lost (Mark) Mulder early in the year. Losing Izzy (Isringhausen) at the end. But this team continues to be resilient, bounce back, and play well.”[9]

“We’ve all had a tough year. It’s been a long year,” Edmonds said. “To get to this point, after the year we’ve had, is the most unbelievable feeling I’ve ever had.”[10]

Meanwhile, the Mets, who had won 97 games and captured their first NL East title since 1988, were left to ponder what might have been.

“It was the most disappointing thing I’ve ever been connected with,” Floyd said.[11]

“I don’t know how you can look at this as a good season,” added Wagner. “We didn’t win anything. We all expected to go to Detroit. To sit back and watch another team celebrate on our field, that’s tough.”[12]

The Cardinals carried their momentum from the NLCS into the World Series, beating the Tigers in five games and capping the series with a 4-2 win at Busch Stadium.

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[1] Bernie Miklasz, “Season of torment stays tough to the end,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2006.

[2] Joe Ostermeier, “Rolen felt the pain of hitting a home run that wasn’t,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.

[3] David Lennon, “For Mets, it’s a world of pain,” Newsday, October 20, 2006.

[4] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.

[5] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.

[6] Joe Ostermeier, “La Russa shifted his lineup for Game 7,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.

[7] Joe Ostermeier, “La Russa shifted his lineup for Game 7,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.

[8] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.

[9] Derrick Goold, “Resilient Redbirds flag down pennant,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2006.

[10] Joe Ostermeier, “Molina’s ninth-inning blast seals the NLCS,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 20, 2006.

[11] David Lennon, “For Mets, it’s a world of pain,” Newsday, October 20, 2006.

[12] David Lennon, “For Mets, it’s a world of pain,” Newsday, October 20, 2006.

The post 2006 NLCS Game 7: Cards beat Mets, clinch World Series berth first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

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 16^th 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 and nine RBIs. 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.

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The post How Jeff Suppan outpitched Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.