Cardinals: Storm clouds already in Philly

FROM KEITH GROLLER

here's already some discord among the Cardinals as they prepare for Game 1 of the National League Division Series here in Philadelphia, coming up now in less than an hour.

Kyle McClelland, a key guy for St. Louis after Adam Wainwright blew out his elbow the first week of Spring Training, was left off the postseason roster, and he's not happy about it.

He was 6-6 with a 4.21 ERA as a starter and went 6-1 in 26 relief appearances after the trade that brought Edwin Jackson from the White Sox.

Manager Tony La Russa said it came down to McClelland's physical state:

"That was a very tough call, and I know he's very upset with it, and he should be," La Russa said. "It was made totally on his best interest. We felt, and he agreed, that towards the end of the year he had a tired arm, and there were days that he was really limited how much he would pitch or if he'd pitch.

"The training room you could see he was getting a little weaker. It was purely a physical decision that coming in here could possibly hurt him and us. I mean, our hope is if we can somehow qualify for the next level that he, with this this chance to exercise and rest, would be a part of the staff."

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The Cardinals' other surprise decision on Friday -- to move Chris Carpenter up to being the Game 2 starter on three days rest -- was talked about again on Saturday.

Carpenter feels he's good to go, even though he has never started a game on three days rest before.

"I'm excited about it to be honest with you. I don't know if I've ever done it. Somebody brought it to my attention that I hadn't, but I would assume that I have at some point in time.

"I feel good. I feel like the game in Houston the other day I didn't work too hard, didn't throw too many pitches and I've come out of it nicely."

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The Cardinals have won six of the eight NLDS they have been in. But the last one didn't go well.

That was the Dodgers' sweep two years ago when Matt Holliday dropped the ball in left field on what would have be the final out of a Cardinals win in Game 2.

Holliday, by the way, is not in the Cardinals lineup and is likely only to be used as a pinch-hitter in this series.

Some might consider Allen Craig to be St. Louis' secret weapon. He is hitting second in the order tonight and has done well since coming back from a fractured right knee cap suffered in a collision with a wall in Houston on June 7.

Craig is hitting .315 on the season and hit .327 in September. He had five of his 11 home runs in the month.

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Did you know?

The Cardinals led the NL in batting (.273) and in on-base percentage (.341).

They also hit into a NL record 169 double plays.

They were consistent at home or on the road, going 45-36 in St. Louis and in other venues.

This is the first time the Cardinals and Phillies have met in the postseason, but it's not the first time St. Louis and Philadelphia have met in October.

The Cardinals and the Philadelphia Athletics met in the 1930 and 1931 with the A's winning in 1930 and the Cardinals winning the following year..

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