BASEBALL PLAYOFFS Cardinals defeat Dodgers, 6-2, to advance to NL title series

The Dodgers displayed outstanding sportsmanship after their defeat.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals played like champions in their NL division series against Los Angeles. In defeat, the Dodgers displayed the kind of class and sportsmanship seldom seen in professional sports.
Jeff Suppan settled down after a shaky start to pitch seven strong innings, Albert Pujols hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the fourth, and the Cardinals beat the Dodgers 6-2 Sunday night to win the best-of-5 series 3 games to 1.
The Cardinals will play in their third NL championship series in five years, starting Wednesday night in St. Louis against Houston or Atlanta.
The Dodgers are going home for the winter, having failed in their third attempt to win a postseason series since they beat Oakland in the 1988 World Series.
When it was over, after Jason Isringhausen struck out Alex Cora for the final out, there was no immediate celebration by the Cardinals, and the Dodgers didn't walk back to their clubhouse.
Good sportsmanship
Instead, while the Cardinals were quietly congratulating each other, the Dodgers went out on the field to greet them and shake their hands.
"That's the first time I've seen a team doing that to the other ball club when they were the losing ball club, and I think that was very special," Pujols said.
"Everybody just wanted to go out there and just wish them luck," the Dodgers' Adrian Beltre said.
While common at the end of NHL playoff series, teams shaking hands on the field after a series is a rarity in baseball.
"I think it was a professional show of class between two very classy organizations," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. "To play this series the way it was played with the intensity it was played, it said a lot."
The Cardinals, a major league-best 105-57 during the regular season, are trying to become the first team with the top regular season record to win the World Series since the 1998 New York Yankees.
"They're probably going to win the World Series," Dodgers closer Eric Gagne said. "We got beat by the world champions."
Pujols delivers
Pujols had two hits, a walk and four RBIs. He went 5-for-15 with two homers in the series.
"Albert is a tremendous player, he does amazing things out there," Suppan said. "With him and everyone else, it's the best team I've been on."
The score was tied 2-2 entering the fourth. Pujols came to the plate with runners at first and second and two outs against reliever Wilson Alvarez.
With the struggling Scott Rolen on deck, Alvarez grooved a 3-1 fastball. Pujols connected, and as his towering fly ball sailed just over left fielder Jayson Werth into the lower left-field stands, the crowd of 56,268 -- largest in Dodger Stadium history -- went silent.
Rolen, 0-for-12 in the series, grounded out following Pujols' homer.
Slim pickings thereafter
The Dodgers had only two baserunners after that -- Cesar Izturis hit a one-out infield single off Julian Tavarez in the eighth and Milton Bradley walked against Isringhausen with two outs in the ninth.
"It's very difficult to win a baseball game with two runs and three hits," Tracy said. "It's hard to do, especially when you're playing a team like that."
The Cardinals, who led the NL with a .278 team batting average and 855 runs, outscored the Dodgers 22-12 in the series.
Suppan, who went 10-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 14 road starts this season, allowed two hits and retired the final 14 batters he faced.
ST. LOUISLOS ANGELES
abrhbiabrhbi
Wmack 2b5100Izturis ss4010
LWalkr rf3320Werth lf3211
Pujols 1b4124SFinley cf4010
Rolen 3b2000Beltre 3b3001
Rnteria ss3011ShGren 1b4000
Edmnd cf3000Brdley rf2000
RSndrs lf4111Cora 2b4000
Tguchi lf0000Mayne c1000
Mtheny c4000Brzban p0000
Suppan p3020Vnafro p0000
Mabry ph1000Carrar p0000
Tvarez p0000Grbwsk ph1000
King p0000Gagne p0000
Isrnghs p0000OPerez p1000
WAlvrz p0000
Ross c1000
Vntura ph1000
TWilsn c0000
Totals32686Totals29232
St. Louis011300100--6
Los Angeles101000000--2
E--Ross (1). DP--Los Angeles 2. LOB--St. Louis 7, Los Angeles 5. HR--Pujols (2), RSanders (1), Werth (2). SB--LWalker (1), Bradley (2). CS--Edmonds (1). SF--Beltre.
IPHRERBBSO
St. Louis
Suppan W,1-0722232
Tavarez2-310001
King1-300000
Isringhausen100012
Los Angeles
OPerez2 1-332250
WAlvarez L,0-11 2-333302
Brazoban211122
Venafro1-300001
Carrara2-300000
Gagne210001
Brazoban pitched to 4 batters in the 7th. HBP--by Brazoban (Renteria). PB--Ross. Umpires--Home, Bruce Dreckman; First, Gerry Davis; Second, Brian O'Nora; Third, Dale Scott; Left, Greg Gibson; Right, Chuck Meriwether. T--3:21. A--56,268.