The St. Louis Cardinals announced Monday that they have reached agreement with outfielder Jon Jay on a two-year contract through 2016 and have thus avoided a salary arbitration hearing that was scheduled for next week.  Jay was the last of the Cardinals arbitration-eligible players who were unsigned.

Drafted by the Cardinals in 2006, the left-handed hitting Jay owns a .295 career batting average over the past five seasons (2010-14), ranking 8th among all Major League outfielders in that time span.  The 30-year old Miami native had a team-best .303 batting mark in 2014, falling just 34 plate appearances shy of qualifying among the league batting leaders.  He continued his solid hitting by batting .483 during the postseason, the 2nd-highest single-season postseason batting average in MLB history.

In 2012, Jay became just the third Cardinals outfielder to play errorless ball over an entire season and he leads all Cardinals fly-chasers with his .995 fielding pct. since 2010.   He posted a franchise-record 245-game errorless streak by an outfielder from Aug. 25, 2011 to July 29, 2013.

Jay, who debuted with St. Louis in 2010, was a member of the Cardinals 2011 World Championship team, collecting a key hit and scoring the tying run in the 10th inning of their memorable World Series Game 6 comeback.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Tuesday that they have agreed with recently-acquired right-handed reliever Jordan Walden on a two-year contract for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, thus avoiding salary arbitration.  The new pact also includes a club option for the 2017 season.

Walden, 27, was acquired by the Cardinals on November 17 along with outfielder Jason Heyward in a trade with the Atlanta Braves.  The 6-5, 250-pound Texas native struck out 62 batters in 50.0 innings pitched this past season and he had a 2.88 ERA to go along with three saves.

Walden, who has appeared in 50 or more games in three of the past four seasons, led the Braves with 20 Holds in 2014.  His career mark is 12-13 with a 3.10 ERA and 38 saves in 231 games pitched, striking out 254 batters in 211.2 IP.

Walden led the Los Angeles Angels in saves with 32 in 2011 and was named an American League All-Star that same season when he finished 5th in the junior circuit in saves while also compiling a 2.98 ERA.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Tuesday that they have agreed on a one-year contract for the upcoming 2015 season with free-agent right-handed pitcher Matt Belisle.

Belisle, 34, brings added veteran experience to the Cardinals bullpen, having made 70 or more relief appearances in four of the last five seasons, including a National League-leading 80 in 2012.  Belisle ranks 2nd in the majors in games pitched (367) since 2010 and his 91 Holds in that five-year span rank 10th in all of baseball.

The 6-4, 225-pound Belisle was 4-7 with a 4.87 ERA in 66 games for the Colorado Rockies last season, allowing just 19 walks in his 64.2 innings pitched.  He has compiled a career mark of 48-54, 4.41 ERA in 524 games (724.1 IP) with Cincinnati (2003, 2005-08) and Colorado (2009-14) and his 92 career Holds with the Rockies rank 2nd in franchise history.

A native of Austin, Texas, Belisle has shown excellent command, allowing fewer than 20 walks in each of the past seven seasons and he’s posted a 2.2 walks/9 IP ratio over his career.  Belisle was used exclusively as a starter by Cincinnati in 2007 when he made 30 of his 44 career starts.  He won a career single-season high 10 games for the Rockies in 2011 to lead all Major League relievers.

Belisle joins recently-acquired right-handed reliever Jordan Walden (trade with Atlanta) in the Cardinals bullpen plans for 2015.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Travis Ishikawa hit the first homer to end an NL Championship Series, a three-run shot that sent the San Francisco Giants to the World Series with a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 on Thursday night.

These every-other-year Giants will face the Royals in an all wild-card Fall Classic that begins Tuesday night in Kansas City.

Pablo Sandoval singled to start the ninth against Michael Wacha, making his first appearance of the postseason for the Cardinals. After an out, Brandon Belt walked to bring up Ishikawa, who drove a 2-0 pitch into the elevated seats in right field to set off an orange towel-waving frenzied celebration.

It was the first time a homer sent the Giants into the World Series since perhaps the most famous drive ever in baseball — Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard `Round the World” in a 1951 playoff.

“These guys have been through it,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “They have been battle-tested and they know how to handle themselves on this type of stage, and then add to that the kids that we brought up, and then Ishikawa. I mean, what a great story.”

Ishikawa knew right away on his first career postseason homer, raising his right arm into the air as he watched his ball sail into the seats. He emphatically threw his helmet down to the dirt in triumph and joined his jubilant teammates at home plate as fireworks shot off from the center field scoreboard.

Pinch hitter Michael Morse homered leading off the eighth against Pat Neshek, who replaced Adam Wainwright to start the inning, to tie it 3-all.

Morse was batting for Madison Bumgarner, who was named NLCS MVP.

After taking a 3-1 lead in the series wild throws the past two days, the Giants used the long ball to advance to their third Series in five years by knocking out the defending NL champions.

Rookie Joe Panik hit a two-run drive in the third inning off Wainwright for the Giants first homer in seven games.

“Just a gutty effort through all this and I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. They just don’t stop fighting,” Bochy said.

Ishikawa was Pittsburgh’s Opening Day first baseman, but was soon cut. He re-signed with the Giants, his original team, and went to the minor leagues before making it back to the majors.

Ishikawa took a winding journey to his winning home run, too. Earlier in the game, he misplayed a fly ball to left field that cost his team a run. He more than made up for it with his final swing.

Bumgarner did not allow a hit after Tony Cruz homered to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead with two outs in the fourth, working eight efficient innings. Matt Adams also went deep in the fourth.

Santiago Casilla worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth for the win.

Adams drew a one-out walk and Daniel Descalso entered to pinch run. Randal Grichuk singled and Descalso reached third on Kolten Wong’s grounder.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford snagged the chopper that glanced off diving third baseman Sandoval’s glove, then Crawford threw to second for the force.

Cruz walked to load the bases with two outs after consecutive pitches near his head, and Giants manager Bruce Bochy lifted him for Jeremy Affeldt. Pitching for the fourth straight day, the lefty retired pinch-hitter Oscar Taveras on a grounder that Affeldt fielded and sprinted to first.

Out to prove himself, Wainwright rediscovered his old postseason rhythm after a couple of rough October outings, and that still wasn’t enough once the bullpen took over with a one-run lead.

Once Wainwright left the game, the Giants grabbed their chance.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny turned to Neshek after Wainwright reached 97 pitches and retired his final 10 batters in order.

For the bottom of the ninth, Matheny made a move that will be second-guessed all offseason. He went with Wacha, the hard-throwing star of the 2013 NLCS. But Wacha had missed much of the summer with an injury and last pitched on Sept. 26.

— Associated Press —

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey drove in three runs and the San Francisco Giants took advantage of some clunky defense by St. Louis first baseman Matt Adams, beating the Cardinals 6-4 on Wednesday night to move within one victory of the World Series.

Chasing their third title in five years, the Giants lead the best-of-seven NL Championship Series 3-1 after poor throws cost the Cardinals yet again.

October ace Madison Bumgarner can pitch San Francisco to another pennant Thursday night at home in Game 5. Struggling All-Star Adam Wainwright starts for St. Louis, now facing the same daunting deficit the Giants overcame to beat the Cardinals in the 2012 NLCS.

Kansas City awaits the winner after completing its ALCS sweep of Baltimore earlier in the day. The wild-card Royals will host Game 1 of the World Series next Tuesday night.

— Associated Press —

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Once the Giants finally got a bunt down, the rest was easy.

A wild throw by reliever Randy Choate on a bunt allowed Brandon Crawford to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the San Francisco Giants over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Tuesday for a 2-1 lead in the NL Championship Series.

Crawford drew an eight-pitch walk from Choate to begin the inning, ending a stretch of 16 straight Giants retired since Tim Hudson’s two-out single in the fourth. After failing on two sacrifice attempts, Juan Perez singled to bring up Gregor Blanco.

Blanco fouled off a bunt try, too, but then pushed one to the left side of the mound and the left-handed Choate’s sidearmed throw sailed past lunging second baseman Kolten Wong, who was covering first base.

“We don’t do anything easy,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We might have got a little lucky there with Perez when he couldn’t get a bunt down and he gets a base hit. But Blanco laid down a beauty. … I don’t know if that’s luck as much as great bunt, great speed to put pressure on them.”

Randal Grichuk tied it with a solo homer in the seventh that chased Hudson.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night, with Ryan Vogelsong pitching for the Giants against fellow righty Shelby Miller.

This walkoff win came 12 years to the day after Kenny Lofton’s single in the ninth inning ended the 2002 NLCS against the Cardinals and sent the Giants to the World Series.

Playing without injured catcher Yadier Molina, the Cardinals had their chances. They squandered Wong’s double in the second before he delivered a wind-aided, two-run triple in the fourth.

Javier Lopez got the first two outs of the 10th before Jon Jay’s single, just the third hit by a left-handed batter against Lopez since he joined San Francisco in 2010. Two of those are by Jay this series.

Sergio Romo entered and retired Matt Holliday on a full-count grounder to third that Pablo Sandoval snared and fired to first.

Molina, nursing a strained left oblique sustained in Game 2 Sunday, began warming up Trevor Rosenthal in the bullpen in the ninth but never played.

A.J. Pierzynski went hitless in four at-bats starting in Molina’s place for St. Louis’ first postseason games back at AT&T Park since losing Games 6 and 7 of the 2012 NLCS, which it had led 3-1. San Francisco went on to capture its second World Series title in three years.

Journeyman Travis Ishikawa hit a three-run double in the first to stake Hudson to a 4-0 lead in his first postseason start beyond the division series in a 16-year career.

Hudson struck out five in 6 1/3 innings before giving way to Jeremy Affeldt.

St. Louis, last in the NL with 105 home runs during the regular season, has 12 in seven playoff games — eight in the seventh inning or later. The Cardinals connected in the seventh, eighth and ninth in Sunday’s 5-4 win.

Hunter Pence’s RBI double off John Lackey got things started in the first, the first time the Giants scored in the initial inning this postseason. Buster Posey and Sandoval hit consecutive two-out singles and Ishikawa followed an intentional walk to Brandon Belt to load the bases with his double.

The four runs were the Giants’ most in the first inning in the postseason since scoring six against Joe Wood of the Red Sox in Game 7 of eight in the 1912 World Series.

Wong had a fourth-inning triple aided by a blustery wind and a tricky bounce off the in right field.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Miller makes his second career postseason start and fifth appearance looking for his first decision. He faced the Giants twice in relief during the `12 NLCS, losses in Games 2 and 6 at AT&T Park.

Giants: Vogelsong has a 1.19 postseason ERA, and the Giants have won all five of his starts. He started the Division Series clincher against the Nationals, allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings. That made him the only pitcher in MLB history to yield no more than one run in his first five postseason starts. Curt Schilling is the only pitcher to have a longer streak at any point in his career, going six straight postseason starts allowing one run or fewer from 1993-2001.

PLUNKED

Hudson hit Lackey with a pitch on his left elbow in the fifth, making Lackey the first pitcher to be hit by pitch in the postseason since Steve Carlton was plunked by Tommy John in the 1977 NLCS.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Molina said he would try to swing Wednesday, and told a few reporters he would receive a cortisone injection to play through the pain.

SCORING FIRST

San Francisco hadn’t scored during the first inning in the postseason since Sandoval’s home run against Verlander in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kolten Wong hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the resilient St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 Sunday night, evening the NL Championship Series at one game apiece.

The Cardinals won after losing All-Star catcher Yadier Molina to a strained oblique muscle in the sixth. Molina was getting further tests and manager Mike Matheny said it “didn’t look real good.”

“We just knew we had to keep grinding,” Wong said. “When you lose someone like Yadi, it’s definitely tough for us, but we told ourselves we’ve been going through this all year. Grinding up and down, not getting any easy pass, so we’re all so confident.”

In a back-and-forth game, St. Louis then got late homers from rookie pinch-hitter Oscar Taveras in the seventh and Matt Adams in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead.

It was a rare postseason failure for the reliable San Francisco bullpen, which allowed a home run in each of the final three innings.

“They are the reason we’re in this situation, and you give (the Cardinals) credit,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “They threw out some good at-bats and we made a couple of mistakes and they took advantage of them.”

The Giants tied it when pinch-runner Matt Duffy dashed home from second base on a two-out wild pitch in the ninth. San Francisco wound up losing for just the second time in its last 14 postseason games.

The best-of-seven series resumes Tuesday night with Game 3 in San Francisco with John Lackey going for St. Louis and Tim Hudson starting for the Giants.

Wong hit an 0-1 pitch from Sergio Romo for his second big home run this postseason. The rookie’s seventh-inning drive was the decisive blow in Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

St. Louis, last in the NL with 105 home runs during the regular season, has hit 11 homers in six playoff games — seven in the seventh inning or later. Earlier, Matt Carpenter connected for the fourth time this postseason.

Seth Maness retired Pablo Sandoval on a comebacker with the bases loaded to end the top of the ninth, and got the win.

Maness came on after closer Trevor Rosenthal couldn’t hold a one-run lead. Rosenthal’s pitch bounced off the glove off backup catcher Tony Cruz and Duffy, running on a full count, never broke stride and slid home with the tying run.

Molina bent over in pain after a swing and didn’t make it out of the batter’s box on a double-play ball in the sixth. Wincing, he gingerly walked off the field.

Adams, whose three-run shot off Clayton Kershaw put St. Louis in front for good in their clinching playoff win over Dodgers, homered off Giants reliever Hunter Strickland.

Gregor Blanco’s fourth postseason hit in 31 at-bats put the Giants up 3-2 in the seventh, but Taveras re-tied it in the bottom half with a homer off Jean Machi just inside the right-field foul pole.

Carpenter hit a solo home run off Jake Peavy in the third. Randal Grichuk singled with the bases loaded in the fourth to make it 2-0.

The Giants came back against Lance Lynn.

UP NEXT

Giants: Hudson pitched well vs. Washington in Game 2 of the Division Series, allowing a run in 7 1/3 innings.

Cardinals: Lackey has a win each of the last three postseason series and is the active leader with 111 postseason innings.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Madison Bumgarner once again put the San Francisco Giants well on the road to a playoff victory.

Bumgarner pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning, and the Giants combined just enough hitting with a couple defensive flubs by St. Louis to beat the Cardinals 3-0 Saturday night in the NL Championship Series opener.

Bumgarner set a major league postseason record with 26 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings on the road.

“That’s pretty cool,” he said. “There’s stats for everything nowadays. I’ve happened to have a little extra good luck on the road.”

Maybe, though his numbers show that perhaps it’s more than luck. In four postseason road starts, he’s 4-0 with an 0.59 ERA.

The left-hander, already a key part of two World Series championship teams in San Francisco, was in complete command.

But 20-game winner Adam Wainwright made another early exit for the Cardinals. In his two playoff outings this month, he’s failed to last even five innings.

“I think there’s a scenario out there where I give up one run,” Wainwright said. “As ugly as it was, I would say my arm felt better than last time.”

Pablo Sandoval got three hits as San Francisco won for the 12th time in its past 13 postseason games, including three straight victories to erase a 3-1 deficit in the 2012 NLCS against St. Louis.

“Man, exciting to be in October, you know,” Sandoval said. “Last year, I was home watching the game on TV.”

Jake Peavy gets the Game 2 start for the Giants against Lance Lynn on Saturday.

Bumgarner, who began the playoffs by throwing a shutout at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game, gave up four hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Bumgarner bested the mark of 23 straight postseason scoreless innings on the road set by Art Nehf of the New York Giants from 1921-24.

The Cardinals’ threatened him only in the seventh, on consecutive one-out singles by Yadier Molina and Jon Jay, but Kolten Wong tapped out and pinch hitter Tony Cruz fanned.

The Giants’ bullpen finished with hitless relief as Sergio Romo got the last out in the eighth and Santiago Casilla closed for a save.

Wainwright was 20-9 during the regular season, including 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in September with two complete games and a shutout. He’s piled up a major league-high 512 2/3 innings the past two years.

The right-hander admitted before this series that his pitching elbow had bothered him during a start in the division series at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s not 100 percent,” Wainwright said. “I think it was 100 percent better than it was the last time I pitched — I’ll say that.”

In two October starts this year, Wainwright has permitted eight earned runs in nine innings. He’s 0-4 with a 5.14 ERA in his past five postseason appearances. He lasted 4 2/3 innings against the Giants after going just 4 1/3 innings in the NLDS opener against Los Angeles.

The Cardinals twice failed to seal the deal defensively in the Giants’ two-run second.

Third baseman Matt Carpenter’s fielding error with the bases loaded on Gregor Blanco’s soft one-hop liner at his feet was the Cardinals’ first error of the postseason.

Sandoval doubled to start the inning, when rookie right fielder Randal Grichuk gloved the ball but couldn’t hang on as he ran into the wall. Travis Ishikawa, 0-for-5 with five strikeouts and a walk against Wainwright, had an RBI single on a jam-shot bloop just over Carpenter’s head in shallow left.

Wong misplayed a double-play ball at second base in the third, and Brandon Belt’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

“We make a few plays, and we can still be out there playing right now,” manager Mike Matheny said.

NEXT UP

Giants: Getting reunited with Bruce Bochy helped the 40-year-old Peavy turn back the clock. He worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings and won the division opener against Washington, a continuation on a strong finish — 6-4 with a 2.17 ERA — after Boston dealt him to the Giants at the July trading deadline.

Cardinals: Lynn has been a solid No. 2 behind Wainwright, an innings-eater who has better learned to take setbacks in stride. He’s won at least 15 games all three years in the rotation. This year, he worked three or fewer runs in all but four of his 33 starts, and he’s 27-12 at home in his career. “I’ll still say he’s probably one of the most underrated pitchers in the game,” manager Mike Matheny said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Michael Morse was added to the Giants’ roster in place of rookie outfielder Gary Brown, but he did not play. Morse had been limited to two at-bats since Aug. 31 due to a strained oblique muscle. Brown was on the division roster but was not used.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Adams and the Cardinals are moving on. Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers are going home.

Again.

St. Louis tagged Kershaw in the seventh inning for the second straight time, riding Adams’ go-ahead, three-run homer to a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday and a fourth consecutive trip to the NL Championship Series.

“I don’t think I touched the ground the whole way around the bases,” Adams said. “Definitely the highlight of my career. … I will never, ever forget this.”

Neither will Kershaw.

“The season ended and I was a big part of the reason why,” Kershaw said. “I can’t really put it into words, Just bad deja vu all over again.”

Following their 3-1 win in the best-of-five series, the Cardinals await San Francisco or Washington with their rotation well-rested for the NLCS, which starts Saturday. They will open at home against the Giants, who ousted the Nationals later Tuesday night.

Trevor Rosenthal allowed two runners in the ninth before getting Carl Crawford on a game-ending groundout for his third save of the series. At AT&T Park in San Francisco, fans cheered when the rival Dodgers were eliminated.

“It was awesome, everything we did throughout that game,” starter Shelby Miller said. “It was a heck of a game and a lot of fun, I know that.”

An overwhelming favorite to win his third NL Cy Young Award in four years, Kershaw’s October resume is a wreck.

Kershaw dropped to 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA in 11 postseason games, including three relief appearances early in his career. He has lost four straight starts to St. Louis over the past two postseasons.

“I’ve had success against them, too,” Kershaw said. “It just seems like one inning gets me every time. And obviously that’s not success.”

While the steady Cardinals advanced to their ninth NLCS in 15 years, the defeat was a huge disappointment for the NL West champion Dodgers, who finished the regular season with a $256 million payroll that was $40 million higher than any other team.

Los Angeles remains without a pennant since winning the 1988 World Series.

Manager Don Mattingly wasn’t about to second-guess leaving Kershaw in the game, especially with a bullpen that’s foundered. He wanted the lefty to get three more outs.

“It goes back to the same question: Is there anybody better, even on short rest, and even where he was at that point?” Mattingly said.

Kershaw started on three days’ rest for the second time in his postseason career. He was dominant into the seventh, as he was in Game 1, but again started the inning with three straight hits.

The third hit Tuesday came when Adams drove a curveball on Kershaw’s 102nd pitch into the right-center bullpen to put St. Louis up 3-2. Adams thrust his hands over his head in the batter’s box then jumped several times as he ran down the first base line. A stunned Kershaw bent over on the mound, head hung and hands on his knees.

“I had a pretty good idea that it was gone,” Adams said.

Kershaw allowed one homer to left-handed hitters while going 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA in the regular season. He gave up two to the Cardinals, with Matt Carpenter connecting in the opener. The left-handed ace is 0-3 with a 9.72 ERA in his last three postseason appearances, including St. Louis’ clinching Game 6 victory in the NLCS last year.

Reliever Marco Gonzales earned his second victory of the series, after getting treated for a nosebleed. The rookie lefty got Adrian Gonzalez on a groundout to end the seventh and strand two runners.

Pat Neshek worked a perfect eighth for the second straight game and Rosenthal pitched the ninth for a second straight day, receiving two visits to the mound from catcher Yadier Molina and one from the pitching coach after a shaky start to the inning.

Kershaw had yielded only one hit through six innings and struck out nine, including three in a row in the sixth.

But Matt Holliday opened the seventh with a sharp single up the middle off second baseman Dee Gordon’s glove, and Jhonny Peralta lined another single before Adams homered off a left-hander for the first time since July 7.

The Cardinals had an NL-low 105 homers this season and left-hander batters had only eight homers against lefty pitching. But lefties hit five off Dodgers southpaws in four playoff games.

Miller matched Kershaw into the sixth, when the Dodgers started the inning with two hits. They scored a run on Matt Kemp’s double-play grounder and added another on Juan Uribe’s RBI single against Seth Maness.

But Los Angeles wasted a chance to add on when Andre Ethier, playing in place of Yasiel Puig, was picked off third by Molina — a call overturned by video review.

Miller went 5 2/3 innings in his first postseason start.

Both pitchers likely benefited the first few innings from late-afternoon shadows mixed with brilliant sunlight.

Kershaw piled up five strikeouts the first time through the order. The Cardinals got the ball out of the infield for the first time on Carpenter’s routine fly on a checked swing leading off the fourth.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright gets extra rest after a Game 1 dud when he was charged with six runs in 4 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium. He was 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in September with two complete games, one of them a shutout.

FIRST PITCH

Scott Rolen, who earned three of his seven Gold Gloves at third base and was a key member of two World Series teams, threw out the first pitch.

— Associated Press —