TOWER GROVE — As detailed in the first of Joe Strauss’ post-season autopsies on the St. Louis Cardinals, manager Tony La Russa said a year he enjoyed with a team he professed a fondness for “from Day 1 of spring training really” left a sour, morning-mouth taste because of the way things finished. Not just the sweep in the National League Division Series, but specifically the performance in Game 3 of the playoffs.

“The first two games…

DOWNTOWN — His losing battle with the mechanics of his delivery and that 105-pitch slog through Game 1 of this National League Division Series was so uncharacteristic of the St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter that he can speak with some authority about how he’ll pitch Sunday.

“I’ll be better,” he said.

Manager Tony La Russa announced this afternoon that if Cardinals stave off elimination tonight and force a Game 4 for Sunday afternoon Carpenter will get…

DOWNTOWN — The Los Angeles Dodgers have found the best way to neutralize the best bat in the game is to yield to the inevitable — put him on base. The St. Louis Cardinals have decided they know how to take a different tack with the most prolific postseason hitter of his era.

They think they can keep him off base.

“No chance,” said Adam Wainwright when asked about how he and his team have approached Manny…

PASADENA — When the National League Cy Young Award ballots — which were due yesterday — are tabulated, St. Louis Cardinals budding ace Adam Wainwright may win his first, cementing his arrival as one of the game’s elite starting starting pitchers.

LA’s Clayton Kershaw won’t be far behind.

If this National League Division Series is a stage for young players to burst onto the October scene — Matt Kemp? Skip Schumaker? anyone? — no two figure to…

LOS ANGELES — It didn’t take long and it happened sooner than planned, but in the fourth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series the Los Angeles Dodgers got to flex their biggest strength: Their bullpen.

The Dodgers relievers, who combined for the best ERA in the National League during the regular season, pitched 5 1/3 innings in LA’s 5-3 victory at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. After the Cardinals raked starter Randy Wolf…

LOS ANGELES — Through an intermediary, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus has received suggestions from pinch-hitter guru — and, you’ll recall, hitting coach to the stars (OK, well, Shaq) — John Mabry. In the past week or so, Joe Thurston picked Mabry’s brain for suggestions on how to better prepare to be all but exclusively a pinch hitter, and he took that info to Glaus.

Mabry, as he has done with others since his time…