Cardinals clinch Central Division title

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals clinched the NL Central title on Friday night, getting four hits from Eli Marrero and four home runs in a 9-3 victory over the Houston Astros that put St. Louis in the playoffs for the third straight year.

The Cardinals clinched their third division title in seven years under manager Tony La Russa. But this one clearly came under the toughest of circumstances.

Starting pitcher Darryl Kile died in the team's Chicago hotel on June 22 from a blockage of the arteries supplying the heart. It came just one week after the death of longtime announcer Jack Buck, leaving a huge hole in the rotation and a team in depression.

"I think it's close to overwhelming to think we're in this position," La Russa said before the game. "It's almost impossible to describe."

Third baseman Scott Rolen, one of St. Louis' key in-season additions, made a diving catch to rob Brian Hunter and end the game. The Cardinals celebrated near the mound at Busch Stadium as Albert Pujols carried Kile's jersey onto the field.

St. Louis will probably open the playoffs at Arizona on Oct. 1. The Diamondbacks eliminated the Cardinals in five games in the opening round last season and went on to win the World Series.

Starting pitching has been a problem all season for St. Louis, with the Cardinals using 14 starters and 26 pitchers this season. Andy Benes' triumphant return from the brink of retirement, the emergence of 28-year-old rookie Jason Simontacchi and July pickup Chuck Finley helped the Cardinals fill the void.

Typically, the Cardinals lost another pitcher in the clincher. Woody Williams, making his fifth start since coming off his second stint on the disabled list for a pulled muscle in his left side, left the game with two outs in the fifth and a 5-3 lead.

The team said Williams experienced tightness in his back and rib cage.

None of it has slowed down the Cardinals, who have won 14 of their last 16 to bury the Astros, their closest competition in the Central. Houston is seven games behind wild-card leading San Francisco with eight games to play.

The Astros won the Central last year and clinched it at Busch Stadium on the final day of the season as the Cardinals, who ended with an identical record, settled for the wild card because the Astros had a 12-5 head-to-head record.

Brian Hunter drove in all three runs for the Astros with a run-scoring single in the third and a two-run homer in the fifth.

Two-run innings in the first and second gave the Cardinals a quick 4-0 lead. Fernando Vina provided an immediate spark when he tripled off the wall against Pete Munro (5-5), and scored on Marrero's single.

Tino Martinez added an RBI single and Pujols hit a two-run single with two outs in the second. Rolen added an RBI single in the fourth.

Marrero and Jim Edmonds hit consecutive homers in the sixth off rookie Jeriome Robertson and after Pujols flied out, Rolen hit his 29th to make it 8-3. All three players gave curtain calls to a half-filled yet noisy crowd at Busch Stadium.

Rick White (5-6), the Cardinals' fourth pitcher, worked a scoreless seventh for the win. Released earlier this year by the Rockies, White has allowed one unearned run in 18 1-3 innings with the Cardinals since being called up Aug. 24.

Munro lost for the second straight time to the Cardinals, allowing five runs on nine hits in four innings.

Notes: This is the second time in franchise history that the Cardinals have qualified for the postseason three straight years. The other time was 1942-44. ... The Cardinals have hit back-to-back homers nine times this season, including the last three games. ... Marrero's homer off Robertson was his 16th of the season, but first off a left-hander. ... The Cardinals have hit 13 homers in their last four games. ... Hunter has seven multihit games in his last 14 starts. ... Marrero, who drew an intentional walk in the seventh, also set a career best by scoring four runs.