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Top three most painful Cardinals postseason moments in recent history
Making the postseason is an awesome experience, but it often times ends in heartbreak. These three moments were some of the most painful for the Cardinals
The 2023 season will end up being unlike many in Cardinals history. While not official yet, all signs point to the Cardinals falling short of the postseason for the first time since 2018, only adding to some of the recent playoff heartache the team has felt over the past four seasons.
Ever since being swept by the Nationals in the 2019 NLCS, the Cardinals have failed to advance past the Wild Card round in each of the last three seasons. Barring a crazy comeback, the likes of which would have to dwarf that of 2011, the Cardinals won't even get a chance to reach the Wild Card round.
The history of the Cardinals franchise is undeniably storied, with generations of success, winning, and truly magical moments. But that doesn't mean that there haven't been some disappointing moments for the Cardinals and their loyal fanbase.
For a team that prides itself on being a perennial World Series contender, the past few years have been difficult. At the end of this season, it will have officially been 11 years since the Cardinals' last trip to the Fall Classic.
That's something that the Cardinals will have to improve on in the coming years if they want to return to their World Series contender status, and we could spend hours discussing what the Cardinals need to do in order to build a better team.
In this piece, we will take a hard look at the three most disappointing postseason moments in recent franchise history.
2005 NLCS
2005 was a special year for the Cardinals.
The team was truly at its peak, as they had the famous "MV3" of Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, and Albert Pujols. Even with Rolen hurt for most of that season, the team won 100 games and had the best record in all of baseball.
The Cardinals were looking for one last championship run in Busch Stadium II, as a new ballpark was set to open the following season.
St. Louis reached their second straight NLCS and was going up against a powerful Astros team that they had defeated the previous year to reach the World Series.
Down to their last out in Game 5 in Houston, they had rallied to win thanks to Pujols' breathtaking three-run homer off of Brad Lidge. St. Louis returned home with a mission to win two more games.
However, Game 6 was unremarkable. The Cardinals were dominated by Roy Oswalt and ultimately lost 5-1. Yadier Molina's fly ball to right field marked not only the end of the season but the end of an era as well.
The final scene at Busch Memorial Stadium would be the Astros celebrating their first-ever trip to the World Series.
2015 NLDS
2015 would mark the first time in Major League history that the Cardinals and Cubs met in the postseason. Chicago had defeated the Pirates in the Wild Card game to advance to the NLDS.
The Cardinals had the best record in baseball, but the NL Central was a three-way battle. St. Louis won 100 games, but the third-place Cubs had won 97, so the NLDS was sure to be a fun battle.
Things started off well, as the Cardinals won Game 1 thanks to a dominant performance by John Lackey. But things went south from there. After losing Game 2 at home, the Cardinals embarked on a trip to Chicago, where they would drop the final two games in heartbreaking fashion, losing to their hated rivals and watching them go to the NLCS.
It was a rare moment where the Cubs had bragging rights over the Cardinals. This officially marked a paradigm shift in the Cubs-Cards rivalry. The Cardinals would not reach the postseason again until 2019, while the Cubs would win their first World Series title since 1908 the following year.
To make matters worse, Lackey and Jason Heyward left the Cardinals at the end of the 2015 season and were key factors in the Cubs' run to the title the following year.
2022 Wild Card Series
2022 was a special season for the Birds, as Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina put on a memorable show for the final act of their storied careers.
The team won 93 games and captured their 12th NL Central title before facing off against the Phillies in the Wild Card Series.
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However, it ended in an unceremonious fashion. The Phillies rolled over the Cardinals, winning two consecutive games to advance to the NLDS. Not only that, but it marked a bitter end to the careers of Pujols and Molina after all the magic they had brought over the years.