Schedule and 2011 Results
Regular Season Records: Milwaukee 96-66, St. Louis 90-72
Game 1 on Sunday, 09 October: St. Louis loses at Milwaukee, 9-runs-6
Game 2 on Monday, 10 October: St. Louis wins at Milwaukee, 12-runs-3
Game 3 on Wednesday, 12 October: Milwaukee loses at St. Louis, 4-runs-3
Game 4 on Thursday, 13 October: Milwaukee wins at St. Louis, 4-runs-2
Game 5 on Friday, 14 October: Milwaukee loses at St. Louis, 7-runs-1
Game 6 on Sunday, 16 October: St. Louis wins at Milwaukee, 12-runs-6

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The St. Louis Cardinals visited and defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 12-runs-6 for a 4-games-2 victory in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1153. With the series 1153 victory, the St. Louis Cardinals improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 15-11 overall and 5-4 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1153 loss, the Milwaukee Brewers see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious St. Louis Cardinals in series 1153 was LWWLWW: Series 1153 thus becomes the second MLB Semifinals series, the second MLB series overall, and the 29th MLB/NBA/NHL series overall to follow this win order to completion. Yesterday, series 1152 (ending on 15 October 2011) saw that the 39 total runs by the Texas Rangers were the most ever in a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series requiring six games, bettering the previous high of 38 such runs (set also by the Texas Rangers, in series 1119, the 2010 ALCS). Those 39 total runs by Texas in series 1152 were the third-most in a best-of-7 MLB series (all rounds) requiring six games, below only the 45 total runs by the Toronto Blue Jays in series 650 (the 1993 MLB Finals) and the 43 total runs by the New York Yankees in series 36 (the 1936 MLB Finals). Tonight, series 1153 (ending on 16 October 2011) sees that the 43 total runs by the St. Louis Cardinals are the new most ever in a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series requiring six games, and are tied for second-most in a best-of-7 MLB series (all rounds) requiring six games. The 30 total runs in Milwaukee by the St. Louis Cardinals in series 1153 sets a new record for most road runs tallied in a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series, topping the previous record of 29 total road runs set by the Florida Marlins in series 904 (in the 2003 National League Championship Series in Chicago against the Cubs) and tied by the Tampa Bay Rays in series 1053 (in the 2008 ALCS in Boston against the Red Sox).

After Game 5: The St. Louis Cardinals hosted and defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 7-runs-1 to take a 3-games-2 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1153. Series 1153 now shifts to southeastern Wisconsin for the deciding game(s). When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 6-4 overall series record, a 2-8 overall Game 6 record with an active four-Game 6 losing streak, a 2-1 Semifinals-round series record, and a 1-2 Semifinals-round Game 6 record. In only their second best-of-7 MLB playoff series ever, the Milwaukee Brewers have not previously trailed a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2. The win/site order for the St. Louis Cardinals after five games of series 1153 is LWWLW @ VVHHH: This win/site order is identical to that of St. Louis through the first five games of series 988 (in which St. Louis would lose Game 6 but win Game 7 against the Mets in New York to win the 2006 National League Championship Series). In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series (all rounds), teams posting a LWWLW win order irrespective of site are on an active nine-series winning streak. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series (all rounds), teams posting a LWWLW win order irrespective of site have a 5-0 series record and a 1-4 Game 6 record. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-2, the St. Louis Cardinals had been on a three-series losing streak prior to defeating the New York Mets in series 988: St. Louis had lost Games 6 and 7 in series 458 (to the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series), series 500 (to the Minnesota Twins in the 1987 World Series), and series 721 (to the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 MLB Semifinals [National League Championship Series]).

After Game 4: Tying MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1153 at 2-games-all, the Milwaukee Brewers visited and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-runs-2. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Milwaukee Brewers have a 0-1 overall series record, a 1-0 overall Game 5 record, a 0-0 Semifinals-round series record, and a 0-0 Semifinals-round Game 5 record, while the St. Louis Cardinals have a 11-2 overall series record, a 6-7 overall Game 5 record, a 4-0 Semifinals-round series record, and a 2-2 Semifinals-round Game 5 record. Thus far in series 1153, the win order (WLLW for Milwaukee) is identical to that in series 411 between the Brewers and St. Louis in the 1982 MLB Finals; the only difference is that St. Louis had home-field advantage in series 411, whereas Milwaukee has it in series 1153.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1153 in Missouri for Game 3, the host St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-runs-3 to take a 2-games-1 series lead. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, the St. Louis Cardinals have a 10-3 overall series record (with an active three-series winning streak), a 6-7 overall Game 4 record, a 3-1 Semifinals series record, and a 1-3 Semifinals Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 2-games-1, the Milwaukee Brewers have a 0-1 overall series record, a 1-0 overall Game 4 record, a 0-0 Semifinals series record, and a 0-0 Semifinals Game 4 record. In best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, in all rounds, teams such as St. Louis which lose Game 1, win Game 2, and win Game 3 irrespective of site are on an active ten-series winning streak. Series 1153 Game 3 is the first best-of-7 MLB playoff game since series 938 Game 4 (in which the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis 3-runs-nil to sweep the 2004 MLB Finals) in which neither team scored after the third inning.

After Game 2: The St. Louis Cardinals visited and quadrupled the Milwaukee Brewers 12-runs-3 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1153 Game 2, thereby tying this 2011 MLB Semifinals series (National League Championship Series) at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the St. Louis Cardinals have an overall series record of 12-4, an overall Game 3 record of 11-5, a Semifinals series record of 2-2, and a Semifinals Game 3 record of 3-1, while the Milwaukee Brewers have an overall series record of 0-1, an overall Game 3 record of 0-1, a Semifinals series record of 0-0, and a Semifinals Game 3 record of 0-0. The dozen runs plated by St. Louis in series 1153 Game 2 is the most in a best-of-7 MLB Semifinals playoff game since the Tampa Bay Rays scored 13 runs in series 1053 Game 4, in the 2008 American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox in Boston. The thirty combined runs by St. Louis and Milwaukee after the first two games of series 1153 are tied for second-most after the first two games of a best-of-7 MLB playoff series in any round (32 runs, series 904 [Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs in the 2003 National League Championship Series]; 32 runs, series 1020 [Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians in the 2007 American League Championship Series]; 30 runs, series 111 [New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 MLB Finals]).

After Game 1: Trailing 5-runs-2 after 4.5 innings, the host Milwaukee Brewers rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to a 9-runs-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1153 Game 1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the Milwaukee Brewers have a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the St. Louis Cardinals have an 8-8 overall series record, a 9-7 overall Game 2 record, a 2-3 Semifinals series record, and a 2-3 Semifinals Game 2 record. In the history of best-of-7 MLB playoff series (all rounds) from 1905 through 2010, inclusive, home teams such as the Brewers which trailed by three runs after 4.5 innings had only a 14-46 (.233) game record; one of the 14 road teams whose three-run lead in that situation did not lead to victory was the St. Louis Cardinals in series 500, when St. Louis led the host Minnesota Twins 5-runs-2 after 4.5 innings but lost 11-runs-5 in 1987 MLB Finals Game 6. Ironically, the last road team to lead by three runs after 4.5 innings in an MLB Finals game was St. Louis in series 989: The visiting Cardinals went on to defeat the host Detroit Tigers 7-runs-2 in 2006 MLB Finals Game 1. Combining for 15 runs in series 1153 Game 1, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals notched the highest-scoring best-of-7 MLB Semifinals-round Game 1 since 2004, when the New York Yankees hosted and defeated the Boston Red Sox 10-runs-7 in series 936 (2004 American League Championship Series) Game 1, and the St. Louis Cardinals hosted and defeated the Houston Astros 10-runs-7 in series 937 (2004 National League Championship Series) Game 1. Series 1153 Game 1 was only the second best-of-7 MLB Semifinals Game 1 to end 9-runs-6: The first occurred in series 871, in which the San Francisco Giants visited and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-runs-6 in 2002 National League Championship Series Game 1 en route to a series win in five games. The six-run bottom of the fifth inning in series 1153 Game 1 was the highest-scoring bottom of the fifth inning ever in a best-of-7 format National League Championship Series game, and was the second-highest-scoring bottom of the fifth inning in a best-of-7 format MLB Semifinals series game next only to series 1020 Game 4 (in which the host Cleveland Indians tallied a seven-run bottom of the fifth en route to a 7-runs-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 American League Championship Series). The six-run bottom of the fifth inning in series 1153 Game 1 was the highest-scoring bottom of the fifth inning in a best-of-7 MLB playoff game (any round) against the St. Louis Cardinals since series 458, in which the host Kansas City Royals scored seven bottom-of-the-fifth-inning runs en route to an 11-runs-nil victory over St. Louis in 1985 MLB Finals Game 7.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2011 regular season, Milwaukee finished six games ahead of St. Louis. From 1905 through the 2010 MLB Finals round, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by six regular-season games, they have posted a 7-3 (.700) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1153 is the 26th best-of-7 playoff series for St. Louis, and the second for Milwaukee. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, St. Louis has a 14-11 series record, a 4-4 Semifinals-round series record, and a 9-16 Game 1 record, while Milwaukee has a 0-1 series record, a 0-0 Semifinals-round record, and a 1-0 Game 1 record. Series 1153 is the second best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between St. Louis and Milwaukee; the first such meeting was series 411, in which St. Louis defeated Milwaukee in the 1982 MLB Finals. With series 1153, the Milwaukee Brewers end a 29-year drought between best-of-7 playoff appearances - the ninth-longest such drought among MLB/NBA/NHL teams continuously operating under the same location-sobriquet name combination (Chicago Cubs, 44 years; Chicago White Sox, 42 years; Cleveland Indians, 41 years; Philadelphia Phillies, 35 years; Chicago White Sox, 34 years; Boston Braves, 34 years; Pittsburgh Pirates, 33 years; Philadelphia Phillies, 30 years; Milwaukee Brewers, 29 years; Boston Red Sox, 28 years).