Paul bracket: 2017 Phillies defeat 1961 Cardinals in seven games

Game 1: Phillies 11, Cardinals 3
WP: Pivetta (1-0)
LP: Gibson (0-2)
HR: Herrera (2), Musial (4)

Game 2: Cardinals 4, Phillies 2
WP: Simmons (2-0)
LP: Ramos (0-1)
Save: Gibson (1)

Game 3: Cardinals 6, Phillies 4
WP: Sadecki (1-1)
LP: Thompson (0-1)
Save: McDaniel (1)
HR: Hoskins (5), Altherr (1)

Game 4: Cardinals 7, Phillies 4
WP: Jackson (2-0)
LP: Lively (0-1)
Save: McDaniel (2)
HR: Boyer (3), Musial (5), Warwick (2)

Game 5: Phillies 3, Cardinals 2
WP: Pivetta (2-0)
LP: Gibson (0-3)
Save: Neris (1)
HR: Musial (6)

Game 6: Phillies 4, Cardinals 2
WP: Ramos (1-1)
LP: BL Miller (1-1)
Save: Neris (2)
HR: Joseph (2)

Game 7: Phillies 4, Cardinals 2
WP: Garcia (1-0)
LP: Sadecki (1-2)
Save: Neris (3)
HR: Franco (2), Herrera (3)

The Cardinals' erratic fielding and weak bullpen troubled them throughout the series and swung each of the final three games to the Phillies.

The series opened with its sole rout. Philadelphia drove Bob Gibson from the mound in the first inning with a four-run outburst that included two hits, three walks and a costly Curt Flood error. Odubel Herrera scored three times and drove in three on a homer, a double and two singles. Nick Pivetta allowed three runs in the first two innings but then shut out St. Louis for four innings before turning it over to the bullpen.

The Cardinals evened the series behind Curt Simmons, who allowed just one earned run in seven innings. St. Louis trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the seventh but scored three times off three Phillies pitchers, with Flood contributing a two-run double. Gibson worked the ninth for the save.

The series shfited to 2017 and Citizens Bank Park for Game Three. Ray Sadecki went eight innings, allowing two earned runs, for the win. Flood had three hits and two runs scored, and Bill White had three doubles and a single for St. Louis.

The Cardinals hit three homers in Game Four, with Ken Boyer, Carl Warwick and Stan Musial each hitting two-run shots. It was the only game of the series in which the Cardinals did not allow at least one unearned run.

On the verge of elimination, the Phillies beat Gibson again in Game Five. The Cardinals were charged with three errors in the Phillies' two-run fifth, two by second baseman Julian Javier and one by catcher Hal R. Smith. Cesar Hernandez scored twice for Philadelphia.

The series reverted to 1961 and the venerable venue popularly known as Sportsman's Park. Simmons carried a 2-1 lead through eight innings for the Cardinals but was injured during his bottom-of-the-eighth at-bat. Bob L. Miller surrendered three runs in the top of the ninth on an error (shortstop Bob Lillis), a hit batter, a double by Aaron Altherr and a two-run single by Maikel Franco.

Game Seven pit aces Sadecki and Aaron Nola. White doubled home two runs in the third, and Sadecki held Phildelphia scoreless until Franco homered in the seventh. Musial threw out Tommy Joseph at the plate in the eighth to preserve the 2-1 lead. Freddy Galvis led off the top of the ninth with a single and took second on a passed ball by Carl Sawtaski. Galvis took third on a ground out and scored on a Sadecki wild pitch to even the score. With two outs and none on, Herrera homered to put the Phillies ahead, and Sadecki followed that with a two-base error. Miller entered and promptly allowed an RBI single to Rhys Hoskins. Hector Neris threw a perfect ninth for his third straight save to clinch the series.

Player of the Series: Nick Pivetta

Projected rotation: Pivetta-Hellickson-Nola-Eickhoff-(Pivetta)-(Hellickson)-(Nola)