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2005 MLB Semifinals round - Series 955.
Houston Astros vs St. Louis Cardinals
Schedule and 2005 Results
Regular Season Records: St. Louis 100-62, Houston 89-73
Game 1 on Wednesday, 12 October: Houston loses at St. Louis, 5-runs-3
Game 2 on Thursday, 13 October: Houston wins at St. Louis, 4-runs-1
Game 3 on Saturday, 15 October: St. Louis loses at Houston, 4-runs-3
Game 4 on Sunday, 16 October: St. Louis loses at Houston, 2-runs-1
Game 5 on Monday, 17 October: St. Louis wins at Houston, 5-runs-4
Game 6 on Wednesday, 19 October: Houston wins at St. Louis, 5-runs-1
SERIES NOTES:
After Game 6: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 955 having returned to St. Louis for Game 6, the visiting Houston Astros defeated the host St. Louis Cardinals 5-runs-1. The Houston Astros thereby notch a 4-games-2 series 955 win, avenge their series 937 loss to St. Louis in the 2004 MLB Semifinals or "National League Championship Series," and win a berth in series 956 (the 2005 MLB Finals or "World Series") against the Chicago White Sox. Houston improves its best-of-7 playoff series record to 1-3 overall and 1-3 in the MLB Semifinals. The St. Louis Cardinals see their best-of-7 playoff series record fall to 12-11 overall and 3-4 in the MLB Semifinals; St. Louis now has a best-of-7 playoff series record of 1-6 in their last seven such series. The win order posted by the victorious Houston Astros in series 955 was LWWWLW. Series 955 thus becomes the 36th best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series (all rounds), the 12th best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL Semifinals-round series, the 11th best-of-7 MLB playoff series (all rounds), and the fifth best-of-7 MLB Semifinals-round series to follow this win order. Of the other four MLB teams to post this win order in the Semifinals, three (the 1990 Cincinnati Reds upon winning series 574; the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays upon winning series 623; the 2000 New York Yankees upon winning series 820) proceeded to win the subsequent MLB Finals round; the sole Finals-round loser was the 1997 Cleveland Indians team upon winning series 745. Series 955 is the seventh MLB best-of-7 playoff series and the third MLB best-of-7 Semifinals-round series in which Games 3-5 at one site were all decided by only one run. Based upon regular-season records, series 955 is the eighth-biggest upset in best-of-7 MLB playoff series history, and the fourth-biggest in best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series history. The biggest such upset in best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series history occurred in series 845, in which the Seattle Mariners finished 20 games ahead of the New York Yankees in the 2001 regular season, but nevertheless lost to the Yankees in five games in the 2001 MLB Semifinals. The biggest such upset in best-of-7 MLB series history (all rounds) occurred in series 2, in which the Chicago Cubs finished 22 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox in the 1906 regular season, but nevertheless lost to the White Sox in six games in the 1906 MLB Finals.
After Game 5: One strike away from a 4-runs-2 defeat, the St. Louis Cardinals rallied with three ninth-inning runs for a 5-runs-4 win over the Astros in Houston, in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 955 Game 5. Houston still leads the series 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the Houston Astros have a 0-1 Game 6 record and a 0-1 series record (series 937 vs. St. Louis in the 2004 "National League Championship Series"). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 6-1 Game 6 record and a 6-1 series record, having lost in this situation only to the Philadelphia Athletics in series 23 (the 1930 "World Series"). MLB teams leading a best-of-7 Semifinals-round series 3-games-2 are on a three-series losing streak and on a four-Game-6 losing streak. The favorable precedent established by the 1996 Atlanta Braves in series 721 (versus, ironically, the St. Louis Cardinals) remains intact: That Atlanta team also had a win/site order of WLLLW @ HHVVV after five games of series 721, before returning home to win Games 6-7. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series from 1905 through the 2005 "American League Championship Series," twelve teams had previously posted LWWWL win orders through five games (Houston has become the 13th). Of those twelve, ten won Game 6 and thus the series, but the two that lost Game 6 (the 1996 Cardinals in series 721; the 2003 Chicago Cubs in series 904) also lost Game 7. In the history of best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series from 1905 through 2004, teams posting a WLLLW win order through the first five games (as the 2005 Cardinals have in series 955) had a 9-46 (.164) series record; one of those nine winners, however, was the NHL St. Louis Blues (in series 780, in the 1999 NHL Preliminary round, over the Phoenix Coyotes). In that context, the St. Louis NHL team in series 780 has also set a favorable precedent for the St. Louis MLB team in series 955. In the history of best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series from 1905 through 2004, MLB teams leading 3-games-2 but playing Game 6 on the road (such as the 2005 Houston Astros) have a 16-27 (.372) Game 6 record and -- for fans of mirror images -- a 27-16 (.628) series record (irrespective of any other conditions on win order and site order). In the MLB Semifinals, those records are 7-4 and 7-4, respectively. In those eleven MLB Semifinals series, the four teams to lose Game 6 also lost Game 7 and the series; of those four losers, two (the 1987 San Francisco Giants and the 2004 Houston Astros) lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, while the Cardinals themselves lost to the Atlanta Braves in 1996. The fourth team to lose in that situation was the 1986 California Angels, succumbing to the Boston Red Sox.
After Game 4: The Houston Astros hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-runs-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 955 lead of 3-games-1. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 0-3 series record and a 0-3 Game 5 record. The Houston Astros are leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-1 for the first time; in their two previous best-of-7 MLB playoff series, they were in 2-games-all ties after four games in each case. Of the few precedents for a St. Louis series 955 victory at this point, the one that offers the highest irony is series 721 (the 1996 "National League Championship Series"), in which the St. Louis Cardinals lost Game 1 on the road, won Game 2 on the road, and won Games 3-4 at home to take a 3-games-1 lead over the Atlanta Braves. St. Louis would proceed to lose Game 5 at home 14-runs-nil, lose Game 6 in Atlanta 3-runs-1, and lose Game 7 in Atlanta 15-runs-nil to lose series 721. The Cardinals would thus hope to follow the precedent set by the Atlanta Braves against the 1996 version of the St. Louis Cardinals.
After Game 3: The Houston Astros hosted and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-runs-3 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 955 lead of 2-games-1. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 4-5 series record (with an active three-series losing streak) and a 6-3 Game 4 record (with a two-Game-4 losing streak). The Houston Astros are leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1 for the first time.
After Game 2: The Houston Astros visited and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-runs-1 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 955 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Houston Astros have a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 3 record, while the St. Louis Cardinals have a 10-3 series record and a 9-4 Game 3 record with a five-Game-3 winning streak. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series from 1905 through 2004, when a team (such as the St. Louis Cardinals) wins Game 1 by one run and loses Game 2 by three runs, its series record is 2-6. Thrice previously have the St. Louis Cardinals won Game 1 and lost Game 2 at home in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series: In series 165 (the 1964 MLB Finals or "World Series"), they defeated the New York Yankees in seven games; in series 201 (the 1968 MLB Finals), they lost to the Detroit Tigers in seven games; in series 499 (the 1987 MLB Semifinals or "National League Championship Series"), they defeated the San Francisco Giants in seven games.
After Game 1: The St. Louis Cardinals hosted and defeated the Houston Astros 5-runs-3 to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 955. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 5-2 series record but a 2-5 Game 2 record (interesting mirroring of those records). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the Houston Astros have a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 2 record (both such losses were suffered in series 937 -- vs. St. Louis in the 2004 MLB Semifinals). In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series from 1905 through 2004, teams winning Game 1 by two runs (such as St. Louis in 955) have a 16-8 (.667) series record.
Pre-series assessment: In the 2005 regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals finished 11 games ahead of the Houston Astros. From 1905 through 2004, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 11 or more regular-season games, they have posted an 18-7 (.720) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 955 is the third best-of-7 playoff series for the Houston Astros, and the 23rd for the St. Louis Cardinals. In best-of-7 playoff series, the Houston Astros have a 0-2 series record, a 0-2 Semifinals-round series record, and a 1-1 Game 1 record, while the St. Louis Cardinals have a 12-10 series record, a 3-3 Semifinals-round record, and a 7-15 Game 1 record. Series 955 is the second best-of-7 meeting between the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals; in the 2004 MLB Semifinals, St. Louis defeated Houston in seven games in series 937. Series 955 marks the 13th time in MLB history that two teams met in a best-of-7 series in consecutive years. On the previous twelve occasions, the first-year winner repeated its series victory in the following year six times (Chicago Cubs, 1907-08; New York Yankees, 1936-37, 1952-53, 1977-78, 2000-01; Atlanta Braves, 1991-92), while the first-year loser avenged its defeat in the second year six times (New York Yankees, 1923, 1943, 1956, 1958; St. Louis Cardinals, 1931; Boston Red Sox, 2004). In best-of-7 MLB Semifinals playoffs series, consecutive-year rematches have occurred twice (Pittsburgh vs. Atlanta, 1991-92; Seattle vs. New York Yankees, 2000-01), with the first-year winners (Atlanta, New York) also winning the rematch.
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