Aaron Nola excelled for six and two-thirds innings on the mound, helping the Philadelphia Phillies sweep the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 in two games in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday.
Thus it looks in all likelihood that the careers of two of the greatest players in Cards history, power hitter Albert Pujols and receiver Yadier Molina, will be over.
Both veterans said the 2022 season would be their last in Major League Baseball.
It could also be the swansong for 41-year-old veteran pitcher Adam Wainwright, who has played for the Cards since the 2005 season.
In the divisional playoffs, the Phillies would face the Atlanta Braves, who had earned a bye by virtue of their first-place finish in the National Division East standings.
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Bryce Harper hit a solo homer in the second inning to give his team the lead.
In Harper’s case, it’s his first MLB playoff win since his 2012 debut with the Washington Nationals.
The score remained 1–0 until Kyle Schwarber sent Alec Bohm home with a sacrifice fly.
The Cards tried everything they could to generate offense, but two of their star hitters, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, picked a bad time to experience bad patches.
Goldschmidt and Arenado, two potential candidates for National League MVP honors, had a combined one-in-15 at-bats and six strikeouts.
The Cardinals finally got rid of Zach Eflin in the ninth, thanks to back-to-back singles by Corey Dickerson and Molina. However, starter reliever Tommy Edman responded by retiring and ending the game.
Thus, the Phillies won their first series since winning in 2010 at the expense of the Cincinnati Reds.