If it were any other team, the baseball-following Nation’s jaws would be dragging against the pavement, but considering the St. Louis Cardinals’ recent playoff history, no one can truly be all that surprised. The Cardinals went down 6-0 in the third inning to the Washington Nationals, but in true Cardiac Cards fashion they rallied to win 9-7, scoring four runs in the ninth inning to pull off the postseason record for largest comeback in postseason history. And in the process they advanced to the National League Championship Series, spoiling the Nats’ effort to win Washington’s first playoff series in 79 years.

The Cardinals don’t have time to bask in glory, however, as they must now focus on a tough-minded San Francisco Giants squad coming off of their own heroics, having won three straight elimination games versus the Cincinnati Reds. With both teams playing extraordinary baseball, this is sure to be an incredible series, and you can find great Cardinals playoffs here at Vivid Seats. The NLCS begins Sunday at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Park in San Francisco, so be sure to witness the action live.

The 2011 World Series champs will have a chance to defend their crown, as the St. Louis Cardinals took advantage of the MLB’s second wild card spot and secured a place in the postseason once again. The squad will head to Atlanta for a one-game playoff, with the winner advancing to the five-game Division Series set to begin the next day. The postseason journey is just beginning, so secure your 2012 St. Louis Cardinals playoff tickets to ensure your seats for the unpredictable ride.

If the Cardinals-Braves matchup sounds familiar, that’s because the two teams also battled to the bitter end last season, with St. Louis prevailing back when there was only one wild card slot. While the Braves returned veteran Chipper Jones for one final season, the Cardinals lost Albert Pujols to the Angels, though it appears they’ve done just as well without him.

The hallowed franchise that is the St. Louis Cardinals has undergone monumental changes since winning their 11th World Championship last fall. The team will need to find a new identity this season after bidding farewell to long-time star Albert Pujols and long-time coach Tony La Russa. The organization named former Cardinal catcher Mike Matheny their new manager in November, placing the team's direction in a well-respected yet unproven coach. At age 41, Matheny will be the youngest manager in the big leagues this season. With 2012 St. Louis Cardinals tickets now available on the open market, fans are getting excited once again about going to the ballpark to see their club defend their World Championship. The Cards' rookie manager will be relying on experience players like Lance Berkman, Matt Holiday, Rafael Furcal, Chris Carpenter, and Kyle Lohse. The fan base is also amped up to see David Freese, the star of the World Series, back at third base. Freese led the team in the postseason with 21 RBIs and came up clutch when it mattered most.

Although many MLB insiders and baseball fans gave up on the St. Louis Cardinals at various points during the season, the Redbirds find themselves heading into October in a gripping race for the National League Wild Card. Tony La Russa has done a masterful job keeping his team motivated throughout the dogged days of summer and now St. Louis baseball fans have a real shot at buying 2011 St. Louis Cardinals playoff tickets this season. After suffering a slew of injuries and player slumps, the Cardinals are finishing the 2011 campaign playing their best baseball. In the last year of his contract, Albert Pujols is back to playing his best after recovering from injury problems that plagued him early on in the year. While Cardinals diehards are already worrying about what will become of their star first baseman in the offseason, the team will certainly strengthen their case for keeping Pujols with a berth in the MLB playoffs.