major sports league had previously occurred only in the NHL. This was the third time the two teams have faced each other in the Fall Classic, with the Cardinals winning the previous two in and . The Cardinals were again without a key player for the World Series: ace pitcher Chris Carpenter, who, after going 15–5, tweaked his shoulder in September and missed the entire post-season. Making his World Series debut in Game 1, Walker collected four hits in five at bats with a home run and two doubles. His four-hit outing tied a Cardinals World Series record, becoming the seventh overall and first to so since Lou Brock in 1967, also against Boston. The Cardinals were swept by the Red Sox in four games and struggled to hit, never taking a lead at any point in the series. Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds, the normally fearsome 3-4-5 hitters for the Cardinals, were 6-for-45 with one RBI. The club batted .190 with a .562 OPS overall. Walker was one of very few exceptions, batting .357 with a 1.366 OPS. His two home runs accounted for the only two hit by the entire Cardinals team. In the 2004 postseason, Walker scored 21 percent (14 of 68) of Cardinals runs scored. Awards and honors Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds finished third, fourth and fifth in the MVP voting, eliciting the nickname MV3. La Russa finished second in the NL Manager of the Year voting. Gold Gloves C: Mike Matheny 3B: Scott Rolen OF: Jim Edmonds Silver Sluggers 1B: Albert Pujols OF: Jim Edmonds NL Comeback Player of the Year (The Sporting News and Players' Choice Awards): Chris Carpenter NLCS MVP Albert Pujols Farm system References External links 2004 St. Louis Cardinals at Baseball Reference 2004 St. Louis Cardinals team page at www.baseball-almanac.com National League champion seasons St. Louis Cardinals seasons St. Louis Cardinals National League Central champion seasons St. Louis Cardinals