Cardinals vs. Phillies: With Ailing Matt Holiday, Cards Lack Power To Beat Phils

The St. Louis Cardinals have just concluded a memorable run into the playoffs. Savor it like a fine wine that is about to be ripped from the table, because Matt Holliday's injury guarantees the Phillies move on. 

As the Braves continued to cough, spit and choke to the finish line, the St. Louis Cardinals breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief. 

After a momentous Wednesday night, I know better. That sigh was of exhaustion and acceptance. The Cardinals had outlasted a year that began with a tumultuous injury, and will be bookended by one. 

The Cardinals started 2011 with news that Adam Wainwright, their 1A in the rotation, would be out for the entire season. 

Following a stirring victory Wednesday, we learned that a far less serious injury was still very much lingering. Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday had aggravated an inflamed tendon in his right hand on Tuesday.

That left him doubtful to play in any sort of one-off game scheduled Thursday. We now understand that his play is still very much in doubt.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Holliday is listed as day-to-day. General manager John Mozeliak went so far as to say that Holliday would be on the disabled list if this injury took place a couple of months ago, but the magnitude of the next week is too great. 

So one of the Cardinals sluggers will give it a go against the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that is built to win in October and has the best rotation in this business. 

St. Louis has taken a few lumps this season and has bounced back spectacularly. They can hardly go into battle without a fully charged lineup though, at least not against this team. 

The Cardinals are not going to out-pitch this stable of All-Stars, but with Holliday they have a chance to outhit them. 

Losing him takes a great deal of protection and slugging out of the lineup. The injury may not be as severe as the one that started the Cardinals' season, but it will hit this franchise just as hard. 

They simply don't have the power to contend.