2011 National League Championship Series
2011 National League Championship Series | ||
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Radio | ESPN | |
Radio announcers | Jon Sciambi (Games 1–3, 6) Dave O'Brien (Games 4–5) Bobby Valentine (Games 1–4, 6) Buck Martinez (Game 5) | |
NLDS | (3–2) | |
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The 2011 National League Championship Series (abbreviated NLCS) was a
The series began on October 9
This was the Brewers' first-ever appearance in the NLCS, having moved to the National League in 1998. As an American League team, the Brewers made the ALCS in their pennant season of 1982, defeating the California Angels, 3–2. Thus, the Brewers became the first franchise to play in the LCS as a member of each league. The Cardinals, meanwhile, appeared in the NLCS for the first time since winning the 2006 World Series. This was a rematch of the 1982 World Series (a.k.a. the "Suds Series", with both cities associated with the brewing industry with Milwaukee's Miller Brewing Company, Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, and Pabst Brewing Company and St. Louis, whose Anheuser-Busch company is namesake of the Cardinals' ballpark), which the Cardinals won, 4–3.
The Cardinals would go on to defeat the Texas Rangers in seven games in the World Series.
This was the last League Championship Series in either league to be played between divisional opponents until 2023. This is mainly due to the restriction between two divisional opponents meeting in the Division Series being removed following this season.
Summary
Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis won the series, 4–2.
Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | October 9 | St. Louis Cardinals – 6, Milwaukee Brewers – 9 | Miller Park |
3:35 | 43,613[5] |
2 | October 10 | St. Louis Cardinals – 12, Milwaukee Brewers – 3 | Miller Park | 3:36 | 43,937[6] |
3 | October 12 | Milwaukee Brewers – 3, St. Louis Cardinals – 4 | Busch Stadium | 3:10 | 43,584[7] |
4 | October 13 | Milwaukee Brewers – 4, St. Louis Cardinals – 2 | Busch Stadium | 3:25 | 45,606[8] |
5 | October 14 | Milwaukee Brewers – 1, St. Louis Cardinals – 7 | Busch Stadium | 3:09 | 46,904[9] |
6 | October 16 | St. Louis Cardinals – 12, Milwaukee Brewers – 6 | Miller Park | 3:43 | 43,926[10] |
Game summaries
Game 1
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Louis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Milwaukee | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 9 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Zack Greinke (1–0) LP: Jaime García (0–1) Sv: John Axford (1) Home runs: STL: David Freese (1) MIL: Ryan Braun (1), Prince Fielder (1), Yuniesky Betancourt (1) |
Game 1 would be a back-and-forth affair. The Cardinals manufactured a run in the first with a walk by
Game 2
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Louis | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 17 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Milwaukee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Rickie Weeks (1), Prince Fielder (2)
|
The Cardinals' offense erupted off of
Game 3
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
St. Louis | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Chris Carpenter (1–0) LP: Yovani Gallardo (0–1) Sv: Jason Motte (1) Home runs: MIL: Mark Kotsay (1) STL: None |
Rafael Furcal hit a leadoff single in the first inning off Yovani Gallardo, moved to second on a wild pitch and back-to-back RBI doubles by Jon Jay and Albert Pujols made it 2–0 Cardinals. Two walks loaded the bases before Yadier Molina's ground-ball double-play and David Freese's double scored a run each. Gallardo and three Milwaukee relievers held the Cardinals scoreless for the rest of the game. In the second, three consecutive leadoff singles off of Chris Carpenter put the Brewers on the board. After a fly ball moved Jerry Hairston Jr. to third, he scored on Gallardo's sacrifice fly. Next inning, Mark Kotsay's home run made it a one-run game, but Carpenter and four relievers held the Brewers scoreless for the rest of the game as the Cardinals' 4–3 win gave them a 2–1 series lead.
Game 4
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
St. Louis | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Randy Wolf (1–0) LP: Kyle Lohse (0–1) Sv: John Axford (2) Home runs: MIL: None STL: Matt Holliday (1), Allen Craig (1) |
Brewers starter Randy Wolf kept Milwaukee from falling into a 3–1 series deficit, throwing seven stellar innings, striking out six batters, but allowed home runs to Matt Holliday in the second and Allen Craig in the third to put the Cardinals up 2–0. The Brewers scored two runs to tie the game in the fourth inning, with Jerry Hairston hitting an RBI double to score Prince Fielder, who doubled to lead off, and Yuniesky Betancourt followed with a single to score Hairston. The Brewers went up 3–2 in the fifth on a single by Ryan Braun off of Mitchell Boggs with the run charged to starter Kyle Lohse, and added an insurance run in the sixth on a crucial error by Ryan Theriot on George Kottaras's ground ball. Though the Cardinals had the tying run at the plate in three of the last four innings, Wolf, along with relievers Francisco Rodríguez and John Axford, shut the Cardinals down to even the series at two games apiece, guaranteeing that the series would end in Milwaukee. It was also the Brewers' first playoff win on the road since Game 1 of the 1982 World Series.
Game 5
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
St. Louis | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | X | 7 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Octavio Dotel (1–0) LP: Zack Greinke (1–1) Sv: Jason Motte (2) |
The Cardinals took advantage of four Milwaukee errors to grab a 3–2 series lead. Yadier Molina's one-out RBI double with runners on first and second put them on the board in the second off of Zack Greinke. One out later, an error on Jaime Garcia's ground ball scored two more runs. Garcia's groundout with runners on second and third in the fourth made it 4−0 Cardinals. Corey Hart's RBI single in the fifth provided the only run of the game for the Brewers. The Cardinals added to their lead on Albert Pujols's RBI single in the sixth and Matt Holliday's two-run double in the eighth off of Marco Estrada. Octavio Dotel got the win in relief of García and Jason Motte earned another save with 1+1⁄3 shutout innings.
Game 6
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Louis | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Milwaukee | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Rickie Weeks (2), Jonathan Lucroy (1)
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The Cardinals got off to a quick start, scoring four runs off
Composite box
2011 NLCS (4–2): St. Louis Cardinals over Milwaukee Brewers
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Louis Cardinals | 11 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 43 | 67 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Milwaukee Brewers | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 51 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Total attendance: 267,570 Average attendance: 44,595 |
Aftermath
National League Championship Series MVP David Freese would continue his torrid hitting in the World Series. In what is considered one of the greatest games ever played,[11] with the Texas Rangers leading the game 7–5, and leading the series by 3 games to 2, Freese came to bat in the bottom of the ninth with two out and two men on base. With a count of one ball and two strikes, Freese hit a two-run triple off closer Neftalí Feliz just out of the reach of Nelson Cruz's glove to tie the game and send it to extra innings. In the 11th inning, Freese hit a game-winning lead-off, walk-off homerun to deep center field to send the World Series to a Game 7.[12] The Cardinals would win the next game, thus giving them their 11th World Series. For his heroics, Fresse became just the sixth player to win an LCS and World Series MVP in the same postseason.
On December 10, 2011, it was revealed by
Game 6 was Prince Fielder's last game as a Brewer, as he signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Tigers in the off-season. Despite just seven seasons in Milwaukee, Fielder still ranks in the top 5 in most all-time offensive categories.[17] To date, his 50 homerun season in 2007 is still the most in Brewers franchise history for a single-season.[18]
References
- ^ Newman, Mark (August 10, 2011). "MLB announces 2011 postseason schedule". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
- ^ Duncan, Travis (July 27, 2011). "MLB to move up 2011 World Series". Digital Sports Daily. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
- ^ Cox, Chris (October 7, 2011). "Times set for ALCS on FOX, NLCS on TBS". MLB.com. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ Hiestand, Michael (September 27, 2011). "Family situation keeps TBS' Ernie Johnson from MLB playoffs". USA Today.
- ^ a b "Boxscore:St. Louis vs. Milwaukee - October 9, 2011". MLB.com. October 9, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
- ^ a b "Boxscore:St. Louis vs. Milwaukee - October 10, 2011". MLB.com. October 10, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ a b "Boxscore:Milwaukee vs. St. Louis - October 12, 2011". MLB.com. October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
- ^ "Boxscore:Milwaukee vs. St. Louis - October 13, 2011". MLB.com. October 13, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
- ^ "Boxscore:Milwaukee vs. St. Louis - October 14, 2011". MLB.com. October 14, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
- ^ "Boxscore:St. Louis vs. Milwaukee - October 16, 2011". MLB.com. October 16, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
- ^ "2011 World Series: Game 6 The (New) Greatest Game Ever Played". Baseball Almanac Blog. June 12, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "David Freese Game, 2011 World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ Quinn, T.J.; Fainaru-Wada, Mark (December 10, 2011). "Ryan Braun tests positive for PED". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Thompson, Bill (May 8, 2020). "The legacy of Ryan Braun". Beyond the Box Score. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Braun clears air with Dino Laurenzi". ESPN.com. November 27, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ "Ryan Braun suspended rest of year". ESPN.com. July 22, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ -JP- (August 15, 2016). "Prince Fielder's place in Brewers history". Brew Crew Ball. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ "Milwaukee Brewers Top 10 Single-Season Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.