Photography by Laura Miserez.
Ah, St. Louis. The best place for custard and toasted ravioli, for botanical gardens and zoos, and for watching hockey in June and baseball in October.
The Cardinals are heading to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2014. They eliminated the Atlanta Braves in a jaw-dropping Wednesday-night game that saw the Cards post 10 runs in the first inning—an MLB record. Longtime catcher Yadier Molina also broke the National League record for most postseason appearances of any player (Wednesday marked his 94th). The final score was 13-1, an easy victory for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals will face the Washington Nationals, who are coming off a surprising victory over the No. 1 seeded Dodgers. The winner of this series will go on to play the winner of the American League (either the Astros or the Yankees) in the 2019 World Series.
Here are six things you need to know about the NL series:
1. The Cardinals have home field advantage. Game 1 will start at 7:08 p.m. on Friday, at Busch Stadium. Game 2 at 3:08 p.m. on Saturday will also be at Busch. The team will then head to Washington for games 3 through 5. If a Game 6 or 7 is necessary, they'll be back in St. Louis. Scroll down for the complete schedule.
2. A limited number of tickets are still available. Fans can purchase tickets through this link.
3. All the games will be broadcast on TBS and KMOX 1120 AM. The postgame will be broadcast on FOX Sports Midwest, and the games will be broadcast in Spanish on WIJR 880 AM. Or fans can head down to Fox Sports Midwest Live! in Ballpark Village where there's always a watch party.
4. The Nationals are slightly favored to win. FanDuel, a popular online fantasy sports site, puts Washington's odds at 91/100, slightly higher than St. Louis' 19/20. Per ESPN, Caesar Sportsbook has the Nationals opening as -120 over the Cardinals.
5. Washington is one of only two MLB franchises that has never before made it to the World Series. They've never even made it past the first round of playoffs until now. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have made it to the World Series once or twice (or 19 times).
6. Charles Glenn will sing the National Anthem at the first game. The recently retired Blues' anthem singer will kick off the series with his beloved rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. Before, there will be a pep rally from 4 to 6 p.m. on the Missouri Lottery Outdoor Stage/Busch II Infield at Ballpark Village featuring live music and appearances from Cardinals alum.
Series schedule
Game 1: Friday 10/11 - 7:08 p.m. - Nationals at Cardinals
Game 2: Saturday 10/12 - 3:08 p.m. - Nationals at Cardinals
Game 3: Monday 10/14 - Time TBD - Cardinals at Nationals
Game 4: Tuesday 10/15 - Time TBD - Cardinals at Nationals
Game 5: (if necessary) Wednesday 10/16 - Time TBD - Cardinals at Nationals
Game 6: (if necessary) Friday 10/18 - Time TBD - Nationals at Cardinals
Game 7: (if necessary) Saturday 10/19 - Time TBD - Nationals at Cardinals
