Just stopped by and noticed there was no record of this game on the board.

I don't have the book, but figured some of you might want to know.

The first inning pretty much told the story. In the top of the frame, the Cards loaded the bases with no outs. Several Whiz Kids got religion at that point, based on the whispered Hail Marys I overheard from my outpost in LF. Then the Cards' cleanup hitter blistered a shot into the glove of third-baseman Mike Kane, who quickly stepped on 3B for the double play. The Cards loaded the bases again, two outs this time, but Joe Burns on the hill wouldn't let them score.

And a giant "phew" sailed up to the sky when the Whiz Kids raced off the field.

We scored 5 runs in the bottom of the first and that was pretty much that.

I always like those Cards, and their achy vestiges of the old legendary Hummingbirds teams, circa 2000 or so. That was the first great team I saw in the old 38s. I believe they went 20-1 my first season; they set the bar for talent and competitiveness. They always seemed to win the close games, and today they still know their way around the diamond.

For the playoffs, 3 teams left. Whiz Kids vs. Giants on Monday. The winner gets the chance to come back Wednesday and Thursday to beat the Cubs two times.

But first things first: should be a good contest on Monday. Tickets are going fast.