MLB Playoffs 2011: Why Game 3 of NLCS Is a Must Win for St. Louis Cardinals

The term "must win" is tossed around a lot of sports. The truth of the matter is that no game is truly a must win unless a loss results in ending the losing team's season.

Even so, there are games that are essential to win, and that is how I would categorize the St. Louis Cardinals' situation in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only are the Cardinals at home, but their ace Chris Carpenter will be on the hill, so they have to take advantage.

With the series tied 1-1, Game 3 will provide a huge momentum shift to whichever team is victorious. The Brewers would certainly love to win this game, but the circumstances aren't as dire for them.

Carpenter came up huge for the Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, and he is St. Louis' unquestioned No. 1 starter. Because of that it is incredibly important that the Cardinals win while he's on the mound.

It can be argued that the Brewers will be throwing their ace in Yovani Gallardo as well, but their rotation is much deeper than St. Louis'. Aside from Carpenter, the Cardinals have Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Edwin Jackson. The Brewers, on the other hand, are better stocked with the likes of Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf.

This game will be vital for St. Louis because a win means that they will only need one more win to guarantee another start from Carpenter. In all likelihood, Carpenter would be St. Louis' Game 7 starter. The Cardinals would certainly love to finish off the series before that, but it will be nice for them to have that gun in their holster.

Also, the Brewers are the league's best home team, so the Cardinals have to win as many games at Busch Stadium as they can. They were able to gain a split over the series' first two games, but the Brewers have a very obvious advantage when they are on home field.

Ultimately both teams desperately want to win this game, but I feel like the Brewers stand a better chance of bouncing back after a loss due to Game 6 and Game 7 being at Miller Park and because of their superior pitching depth. 

A win would do wonders for the Cardinals, and it would most definitely put them in the driver's seat moving forward.