Cardinals Stumble Their Way to Title

The St. Louis Cardinals won another NL Central title with a team still running in reverse.

There was no sign of distress in a raucous clubhouse, though, with champagne spraying in every direction after the Cardinals backed into their third straight division championship and averted perhaps the worst September collapse in major league history.

The Cardinals lost nine of their last 12, nearly squandering a seven-game lead. But they finally clinched a playoff berth Sunday in the fifth inning of a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers when Houston was eliminated with a 3-1 defeat at Atlanta.

When the Cardinals got back to their clubhouse, all their struggles were forgotten and players whooped it up.

“Once we got in here and started popping the corks, it reminds me of old times,” said Scott Spiezio, who won a World Series with the Angels in 2002. “I told the young guys to practice stuff so we can do it again and next time look a little better.”

The Cardinals have no illusions about being a team to be feared in October. But they didn’t care. They’re in the postseason, taking on San Diego starting Tuesday at Petco Park.

“All right, we’ll be the underdogs all day long,” said Chris Carpenter, who will pitch Game 1. “In this situation, anything can happen.”