Cardinals vs. Phillies: Albert Pujols and 4 Keys to Eliminating the Phillies

Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals managed to show that it is in fact possible to beat the Philadelphia Phillies this postseason. The Cardinals were able to get to Cliff Lee in Game 2 of the NLDS and have tied the series up at one a piece with a 5-4 win.

St. Louis has a chance to shock many by knocking the Phillies out of the playoffs. If the Cardinals are to do this, they need a few things to go right.

1. Albert Pujols

Having the best player in baseball on their roster certainly helps the St. Louis Cardinals' chances of taking down the mighty Philadelphia Phillies. Albert Pujols will need to continue to play well if the Cardinals are to pull off the upset.

So far, Pujols is 3-for-8 in the postseason with one RBI. We have not even seen the best of Pujols yet. If he steps things up, he will be a big threat to take over the series.

2. A Quality Start from Jaime Garcia

The Philadelphia Phillies may have a number of outstanding pitchers that they can send to the mound to face the Cardinals, but the St. Louis has pitchers that can match them in a short series. Jaime Garcia will be integral to the Cardinals' success.

Garcia is getting the call for Game 3 of the NLDS. In his career, Garcia has thrown 15 innings against the Phillies and he has given up just one earned run and 10 hits.

3. Matt Holliday Returning to the Lineup

Because of a recurring injury on his right middle finger, Matt Holliday has only had one at-bat thus far in the NLDS. He is one of the Cardinals' biggest offensive weapons.

When he returns to the lineup, Holliday will provide a big boost for the Cardinals. The sooner he gets back, the better the Cardinals' chances of beating the Phillies are.

4. Lights-out Pitching from the Cardinals Bullpen

It the Cardinals can get an early lead, they will likely need to hand things over to their bullpen later on during the game. They need the pitchers in their bullpen to be outstanding if they are going to beat the Phillies.

The Phillies can get themselves back into a game very easily, but the Cardinals bullpen can certainly close things out and help them pull off the major upset.