MILWAUKEE — The St. Louis Cardinals are back in the World Series for the 18th time after putting away the Milwaukee Brewers, 12-6, in Game 6 of the NLCS.
They will face the Texas Rangers in Game 1 on Wednesday in St. Louis.
The Cards, who have won 10 of those World Series, used the same formula that carried them throughout the NLCS: A quick start on offense and a steady stream of pitchers out of the bullpen.
David Freese, the likely MVP of the NLCS, had the big blast in the first inning in Game 6 with a 3-run homer as the Cardinals took a 4-0 lead off Shaun Marcum, who would last just one inning. It was Freese’s third homer of the NLCS and fourth of the post-season.
The Cardinals added another run in the second on a homer by Rafael Furcal, and four more in the third as Albert Pujols homered.
They needed all that offense as the Brewers kept hanging around with a homer by Corey Hart in the first, and a pair of homers in the second by Ricky Weeks and Jonathan Lucroy.
It was 5-4 at that point before the Cardinals broke it open in the third. The Cardinals also added a pair of runs in the fifth thanks to sloppy play in the field by the Brewers.
Pujols gave the Cardinals a brief scare in the bottom of the fifth when he landed awkwardly on his right arm while tagging out Ryan Braun. Pujols stayed in the game and later drove in another run in the eighth. It was the same arm that he hurt in June when he collided with Kansas City’s Wilson Betemit and missed almost a month with a broken bone.
But the Cardinals bullpen kept the Brewers in check the rest of the way as Fernando Salas, Marc Rzepczynski, Octavio Dotel, Lancy Lynn and Jason Motte wrapped it up.
Mark Kotsay made the game’s final out on strikeout.
Game 1 of the World Series will be Wednesday in St. Louis with Game 2 on Thursday. The series shifts to Texas for three games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday before returning to St. Louis for a potential Game 6 and 7 on Oct. 26 and 27.
The Rangers are in the World Series for a second consecutive year after winning the ALCS on Saturday over Detroit. Texas lost in five games last season to San Francisco.