Game 2 of the NLCS went to the San Francisco Giants by a final score of 7-1, and for St. Louis Cardinals fans there was little to see; Chris Carpenter just wasn't very sharp, and he paid for it at the 90th percentile, allowing five runs (two earned) in four innings and striking out just one. He also drove in the Cardinals' only run, which is all that need be said about the Cardinals offense.
Ryan Vogelsong picked up the win for the Giants, throwing seven innings and allowing just one run. Angel Pagan's leadoff home run gave San Francisco their first home lead of the postseason, but it was RBIs from Marco Scutaro and Ryan Theriot that put them over the top.
Speaking of which—Marco Scutaro and Matt Holliday were at the center of the NLCS's first big controversy Sunday night, when Holliday used an aggressive takeout slide to break up a double play. Scutaro eventually left the game, and discussion about whether the move was A) legal and B) moral flared up in predictably diverse ways, which will continue to blossom as the series progresses.
The series goes back to Busch Stadium tied, and the Cardinals couldn't have asked for much more than that. But they'll have to play better baseball even with the home field advantage to win in the postseason.