St. Louis Cardinals

By editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) Mark McGwire, one of the game's most star-crossed sluggers, is back in baseball. He returns as the Cardinals' new hitting instructor under manager Tony La Russa.

By editor@denverpost.com (The Associated Press) Oddsmakers have picked the Yankees and Cardinals as favorites to meet in the World Series and think New York will win.

By psaunders@denverpost.com ( By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post) Friday night's Cardinals-Rockies showdown was the kind of baseball game that leaves fans exhausted and players exhaling after every pitch.

By wpaige@denverpost.com (By Woody Paige / The Denver Post) To call "Rockies vs. Cardinals" a good baseball game is like calling "Waiting for Godot" a swell play. There are baseball games. Then, on Friday night, there was the baseball game.

By editor@denverpost.com (The Denver Post) Chris Carpenter didn't get his 17th victory Friday night, but he proved why he's a favorite for the National League Cy Young Award. The Cardinals right-hander pitched seven innings, giving up one run on five hits. His ERA dipped to 2.30.