Two Dominicans made the difference in the National League playoff last night. Alberto Pujols, the powerful St. Louis Cardinals infielder, pushed across the tying run as the Cards broke through the pitches from Houston Astro star Roger Clemens to win the National League Playoff Series. Santiago-born Julian Tavarez, the volatile pitcher who broke two bones in his non-pitching hand five days ago in a dugout tirade, delivered his second consecutive sterling performance, stopping the Astros cold. Pujols was voted the Most Valuable Player in the series, batting .442 with four homeruns and nine runs-batted-in. With Houston and New York now eliminated, St Louis will face the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, marking the third time the two have vied for the championship over the past 50 years. In 1946 and 1967, Boston and St Louis squared off in the World Series, each time with St Louis winning in seven games. This year’s series will feature Dominican pitchers Pedro Martinez for Boston and Julian Tavarez as relief for St Louis, as well as MVPs David Ortiz for Boston and Alberto Pujols for St Louis. That is in addition to Manny Ramirez, the leading Boston Red Sox slugger.
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