Cardinals Ride Jordan Into Nlcs Ninth-Inning Home Run Caps Sweep, Sets Up Battle Against Braves

Brian Jordan could have been stretching out to make an interception or to knock the ball away from a wide receiver. After all, that’s how he once made his living.

Instead, the diving catch that Jordan made in the eighth inning, followed by his two-run homer in the ninth, gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-5 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night and a three-game sweep of their N.L. divisional series.

While ending San Diego’s most exciting season, the Cardinals earned the right to play the Atlanta Braves for the N.L. pennant.

Jordan, a former NFL defensive back, made a diving catch of Jody Reed’s slicing liner to right field with a runner on second, ending the eighth and keeping the score tied at 5.

Jordan still has his football mentality, because he said he’ll remember the catch more than the home run. He stretched out to his right to make the grab, somehow straining his left shoulder in the process. He said he should be fine.

Ken Caminiti, the likely N.L. MVP, hit two home runs for the Padres, including a solo shot that tied the game in the eighth.

Padres relief ace Trevor Hoffman took over to start the ninth and walked Ron Gant with one out. Jordan then drove a full-count pitch into one of the palm trees beyond the left-field fence.

Jordan said he was looking for anything hard from Hoffman, who threw a hanging slider.

“I kept my hands back good and hit it pretty good,” Jordan said. “When I hit that, I knew we had Eck (reliever Dennis Eckersley) in the bullpen to close it out.”

The Cardinals erupted out of the dugout after the homer. After the game, teammates surrounded Jordan and doused him with champagne.

“He’s got the heart of a lion,” manager Tony La Russa said. “He runs the bases like a madman, he’s built himself up defensively and he sticks his nose in there at the plate.”

The N.L. Central champion Cardinals, in the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, will face the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves in the N.L. championship series starting Wednesday night at Atlanta. The Braves went 9-4 against St. Louis this season.

Cardinals 7, Padres 5

St. Louis San Diego ab r h bi ab r h bi Clayton ss 3 1 1 0 RHdsn lf 5 0 1 0 McGee cf 3 0 0 0 TGwyn rf 5 0 1 0 Ptkvsk p 0 0 0 0 Finley cf 5 0 0 0 Sweney ph 1 0 1 0 Cminiti 3b 4 2 2 2 Hnyctt p 0 0 0 0 Cnfrcco 1b 3 1 1 0 TJMtw p 0 0 0 0 TiWrl p 0 0 0 0 OSmith ph 1 0 0 0 Vlnzela p 0 0 0 0 Eckrsly p 0 0 0 0 DVeras p 0 0 0 0 Gant lf 4 2 2 1 GVghn ph 1 0 0 0 BJrdn rf 5 2 3 3 Flherty c 0 0 0 0 Gaetti 3b 4 0 0 0 BJhnsn c 4 2 3 0 Mejia pr 0 0 0 0 Lopez pr 0 0 0 0 Gallego 3b 1 0 0 0 Hffman p 0 0 0 0 Mabry 1b 4 1 3 1 CGmez ss 4 0 1 1 Pgnozzi c 4 0 2 1 JoReed 2b 4 0 2 2 Alicea 2b 5 0 0 0 Ashby p 1 0 0 0 Osbrne p 1 0 0 0 Joyner 1b 2 0 0 0 Lnkfrd cf 2 1 1 0 Totals 38 7 13 6 Totals 38 5 11 5 St. Louis 100 003 102 - 7 San Diego 021 100 010 - 5 E-Alicea (1), Caminiti 2 (3). DP-San Diego 2. LOBSt. Louis 10, San Diego 7. 2B-BJohnson (1), JoReed (1). 3B-Mabry (1). HR-Gant (1), BJordan (1), Caminiti 2 (3). SB-BJordan (1). CS- Alicea (2). S-Mabry, Ashby.

St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO Osborne 4 7 4 4 0 5 Petkovsek 2 0 0 0 0 1 Honeycutt 1 2 1 1 0 1 TJMtw W,1-0 1 1 0 0 0 2 Eckersley S,3 1 1 0 0 0 0 San Diego IP H R ER BB SO Ashby 5 7 4 4 1 5 TiWorrell 1 3 1 1 1 0 Valenzuela 0 0 0 2 0 DVeras 0 0 0 0 0 Hoffmn L,0-1 1 3 2 2 1 2 TiWorrell pitched to 1 batter in the 8th, Honeycutt pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

WP-Ashby.

T-3:32. A-53,899 (47,750).

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FOR OPENERS A.L. Championship Series Game 1: Tuesday, Baltimore at New York N.L. Championship Series Game 1: Wednesday, St. Louis at Atlanta