Oct. 17, 2006
Starting pitcher Jeff Weaver allowed only two runs in six innings last night as the St. Louis Cardinals won their third National League Championship Series game against the New York Mets. St. Louis now leads the series 3-2 and only needs one win in the next two games to advance to the World Series.

Mets’ starting pitcher Tom Glavine controlled the Cardinals through the first three innings, but lost a two-run lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a solo home run by Cardinals’ first baseman Albert Pujols and a Ron Belliard single that drove in Scott Rolen from second base. Glavine pitched out of the jam to preserve the tie, but gave up the game-deciding run to David Eckstein after a Preston Wilson double that found the right field gap in the bottom of the fifth.

Weaver pitched six strong innings, allowing six hits and two walks with only one strikeout, but the Cardinals bullpen was able to fan the Mets’ offense for the remainder of the game. An insurance home run in the sixth from pinch hitter Chris Duncan gave the Cardinals’ staff some breathing room, as reliever Adam Wainwright stuck out two batters in the ninth en route to his first save of the series.
– Compiled by Jeff Gibson from The Associated Press