When the National League Championship Series begins Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals will have a 25-player roster, a nine-player lineup and a two-player team.
When the Cardinals were clinging to the NL Central lead in the final week of the season, fighting off a furious challenge from the Houston Astros, Albert Pujols's mammoth home run against the San Diego Padres lifted St. Louis from a seven-game losing streak. When the Cardinals needed to quickly forget the miseries of that final week, Chris Carpenter's masterpiece in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Padres gave St. Louis the momentum it needed to roll over San Diego.
The Cardinals' best hope for an upset against the New York Mets in the NLCS sits with Pujols and Carpenter. Pujols is to Shaq as Carpenter is to Kobe, and no better duo exists in baseball. Pujols and Carpenter are broad-shouldered and tall, two traits that should help them carry the Cardinals — a prohibitive underdog — in this series.
"Pujols is the best hitter in the game," Mets right fielder Shawn Green said. "Carpenter is the best pitcher in the game, as far as I'm concerned. Those two guys, they're going to make it tough for us."
Though Pujols missed 15 games because of injury this season, his 137 RBI were 42 better than Scott Rolen, the team runner-up in the category. Carpenter's 3.09 ERA was more than a run better than any other Cardinals pitcher who started 15 or more games.
But don't tell the Cardinals that they are a two-man team.
"If you put two men on the field, it would be tough to win," Cardinals infielder Scott Spiezio said. "Are they remarkable factors? Yes. They're unbelievable."
"That's not even close to being accurate," Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa said. "If all we had was Albert we wouldn't be playing in October."
"I don't see it being me and Albert," Carpenter said.
"You can't get caught up with what they say, what people say or newspapers say," Pujols said. "If I go 0 for 4, as long as we're winning, it doesn't matter."
Outfielder Chris Duncan wouldn't even consider the possibility.
"I've never heard that," he said.
The numbers are staggering, though. Carpenter, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, has won all five career postseason starts and St. Louis was 20-12 this year in games he pitched, 63-66 with any other starter on the mound. Since 2003, no player has more home runs (179) than Pujols.
"Right now he's the best player in the game," Mets outfielder Cliff Floyd said. "Pujols never looks like he's feeling bad. I haven't ever seen him in a rut."
The Mets have the superior lineup, the better bullpen and the best depth, yet the Cardinals have the best starting pitcher and the best position player and that alone makes them capable of winning the series. It's highly possible that Pujols will soon be announced as the National League most valuable player and Carpenter as the Cy Young winner.
"I think this series is even," La Russa said. "They're outstanding, but we're capable of playing competitive baseball."
How to even such a uneven matchup? With Carpenter (2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in the NLDS) and Pujols.
How the Mets pitch to Pujols may very well dictate who wins the series. Mets Manager Willie Randolph said his team won't allow Pujols to beat them. Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca said he'd prefer the Mets attack Pujols or simply walk him each time. There should be no middle ground with Pujols, said Lo Duca.
"Sooner or later we're going to have to pitch to him," Mets Game 1 starter Tom Glavine said. "We're not walking him every time up there, I can assure you of that."
When Pujols arrived at his locker for Tuesday's workout, he was immediately surrounded by reporters. Pujols went back and forth with them until a question came that caught his interest. He was asked if he'd ever pitch to himself if he was on the other team. It was the type of cognitive psychological question Pujols appreciated.
"Why not?" Pujols said coyly. "I'd throw it right down the middle. I can't hit it down the middle."
Avoiding facing Carpenter twice may be the best way New York can escape the NLCS. Last week, shortstop David Eckstein admitted the Cardinals play better when Carpenter pitches. The Mets will face Carpenter in Game 3 and possibly a second time should the series be extended to a sixth or seventh game. In terms of an ace, the Mets, who are without the injured Pedro Martinez, can only counter with Glavine, who was 15-7 with a 3.82 ERA this season, but at 40 is past his prime. Pujols and Carpenter are both in the middle of their prime.
"Obviously you can't win with two guys," Cardinals General Manager Walt Jocketty said. "I think guys realize that because of the numbers these guys put up, they're going to get a majority of the attention."
