
Stephen Strasburg knows these playoffs are different for him. He knows that his face shows up during the telecasts of the Washington Nationals' games and that his absence, one of baseball's biggest storylines, is a part of the Nationals' story, regardless of how the end is written.
The St. Louis Cardinals removed Jaime Garcia from their NL division series roster Tuesday, a day after he lasted only two innings in his Game 2 start because of an ailing shoulder.

Facing the possibility of heading to Washington down 2-0 in a best-of-five series, the St. Louis Cardinals treated Monday like an elimination game.

When the St. Louis Cardinals rolled into town Thursday they brought with them a reputation for offensive firepower. The only team in the National League the Washington Nationals had yet to face were supposed to bring a stiff test at the start of their longest homestand of the season.
The St. Louis Cardinals lost their third straight game _ and maybe their All-Star shortstop, too.

Previewing the National League.
The Houston Astros hired Jeff Luhnow as their new general manager Wednesday night, hoping he can help rebuild a team that finished with the worst record in the major leagues.
David Freese homered in the 11th inning to give the Cardinals a 10-9 victory over Texas in Game 6 of the World Series, capping one of the wildest, most exciting finishes in baseball history.
Boy, the Cardinals are really making a mess for themselves on defense. Not sure if they're tight, cold, rusty or what.