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When the San Francisco Giants play host to the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Championship Series, both teams will be stepping into familiar territory.

Prior to 2012, the teams met twice in the NLCS, in 1987 and 2002.

The three series have a number of things in common:

1. Both teams advanced to the World Series and lost in seven games.

2. Each lost to a franchise that had never won a world championship.

3. In neither series did the National League team have home-field advantage. In 2012, this will not be the case as a result of the National League’s victory in the 2012 All-Star game.

Following is a brief recap of each NLCS meeting.

In 2002, the Cardinals and Giants met up to battle it out for a shot at the World Series. The Giants were dominant from Game 1.

The Cardinals dropped the first two games at home—a “cardinal no-no” in postseason baseball. They managed to edge out the first game in San Francisco, but from that point on they just couldn’t get the offense going enough to win.

The Giants won Games 4 and 5 by only one run each, taking the series by a 4-1 margin. That was all they needed for their shot at glory.

When they faced the Anaheim Angels for the World Series, the Giants hung close, but eventually lost it all in a decisive Game 7.

The first time the two teams squared off in an NLCS was in 1987 and the series was much more exciting.

They alternated Games 1 through 4, but the Giants were up 3-2 after the final game of the series at Candlestick Park.

The Cardinals rallied upon their return to Busch Stadium to take Games 6 and 7 to win the series 4-3.

The Cardinals’ trip to the World Series that year was no easier than the NLCS had been. They faced the Minnesota Twins who simply wouldn’t go down.

Each team won every home game in the series and the Twins finally won their franchise’s first world championship inside the Metrodome in front of a crowd of 55,376.

What are each team’s chances in 2012?

The Cardinals, who will be making their seventh NLCS appearance since 2000, will need to at least split in San Francisco because the return home will have them facing off against Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. The road won’t be easy, but that seems to be when the Cardinals are at their best.

The Giants, who will start and end the series on their home turf, will not have an easy road ahead of them either. While they will have home-field advantage, their two hottest pitchers won’t be on the mound and they will have to face Lance Lynn (18-7) and Chris Carpenter.

Carpenter may not have a regular-season win under his belt, but the Giants can’t take that for granted because he is a postseason machine. He loves the high-pressure situations, and even when he’s not on top of his game he still manages to find a way to win games.

Regardless, this NLCS matchup with a deeply rooted history between two of baseball’s most storied franchises will definitely be worth watching.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With October baseball well underway and history already being, this is a good time to look at some of the greatest comebacks of all-time.

A couple of this year’s comebacks even make the list.

The list is not comprehensive and many didn’t make the cut. The teams that made the the list, however, strongly deserve to be there.

They are teams who either little was expected of or that had to climb to improbable (nearly impossible) heights to bring a struggling team back to life.

By mere coincidence, nine of the top 10 on the list involve–as either winners or losers–the four teams who remain in the Championship Series’.

The New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers–four of the most storied franchises in all of baseball-have been on the giving or receiving end of many of baseball’s most monumental moments.

Before we find out if there will be more history made in October, take a look back.

 Follow the break for the 10 greatest comebacks in MLB Playoff history.

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The St. Louis Cardinals had already called RHP Chris Carpenter‘s season over. He was shut down for the season by surgery to correct his thoracic outlet syndrome.

The idea was that hopefully by spring training he would be back to his old self following an intense regimen this winter that would have him presumably back to normal.

That was the plan less than three weeks ago. Plans change.

Once Carpenter was first able to begin resuming baseball activities, it felt good. He threw more and kept feeling good—a sensation he hadn’t had in quite some time.

He felt so good, in fact, that rumors began to fly about whether he could throw again this season.

After several simulated games and bullpen sessions, Carpenter on Monday was believed to still be a simulated start away from making his return to the big leagues.

As Cardinals fans have already learned in the Carpenter capers of 2012, plans can change.

Given the lackluster performance by LHP Jaime Garcia on Monday evening, plans need to change.

Follow the break for five reasons why the Cardinals must activate Carpenter for Saturday’s start in Los Angeles.

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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse has put together a very impressive season, but few outside of St. Louis seem to have even noticed.

When Kyle Lohse was the team’s opening day 2012 starter, a lot was expected of him. With Adam wainwright returning from Tommy John surgery, Chris Carpenter out with nerve issues and Lance Lynn making his debut as a starter, Lohse was expected to be an anchor to the team’s rotation.

His time in St. Louis has had its ups and downs, but since the beginning of 2011 he has been a real asset.

In Lohse‘s first season with the Cardinals he went 15-6. His 3.78 ERA was, at least at the time, the best of his career.

Forearm issues then began to plague him, making for lackluster 2009 and 2010 performances where he went a combined 10-18.

Since his health issues were lined out, however, he has been better than at any point in his career. In 2011 and 2012, he has a combined 28-10 record. That is a dramatic difference that deserves recognition.

So far in 2012, Lohse has the third best ERA in the NL (2.64), is tied for fifth in WHIP (1.08), sixth in wins (14) and ranks eighth in IP (174.0). He also leads the league in outs in the air with 211.

Lohse has the best win percentage in the NL (.875). Equally as important as his 14 wins this year is the fact that he has been hit with only two losses in his 27 starts to date.

These numbers may not all be the best in the league, but definitely deserve more attention than he has gotten.

So, why is he not being noticed?

Not a Flashy Pitcher

Lohse is not a strikeout pitcher like Cliff Lee or Stephen Strasburg. He’s not the most animated or exciting to watch.

What he does do is consistently get the job done.

Sure, strikeouts are fun to watch, but if you can get a batter out in two pitches with a popout instead of a five or more pitch strikeout, then more power to him. The fewer pitches per batter translates into a very important fact—more innings pitched.

He’s Never Been a Big Name

He’s been solid, but he’s never been a big headline grabber.

We see guys like Strasburg, Jered Weaver and Felix Hernandez in the headlines every fifth day, but that’s not the case with Lohse.

While his individual outings might not be big news to some, his season is certainly big news.

His comeback over the past two seasons has been nothing short of monumental. To go from being a sub-.500 pitcher to leading the league in winning percentage is a huge accomplishment.

Many Other Pitchers Have Been Amazing

Another reason we haven’t seen him in the headlines this year is because so many other worthy pitching stories have come along.

From numerous no-hitters, perfect games and success stories like R. A. Dickey, there have been a lot of pitchers in the news in a big way.

Lohse, on the other hand, has done what he does best—come out under the radar, put together good outings and wait five days. Lather, rinse, repeat is the best way to explain Kyle Lohse in 2012.

Double-Edged Sword for Cardinals Fans

There is a potential downside to the success Lohse has seen this season. With free agency looming just around the corner, he is primed and ready for what will likely be the best contract of his career.

With two solid, healthy seasons in his rear view mirror, he and his agent, Scott Boras, will likely be looking to get him exactly what he has earned.

While he may like to stay in St. Louis, the fact that the Cardinals just re-signed Jake Westbrook could be viewed as a concession to the fact that Lohse will be gone to free agency.

Regardless of where he is headed, Cardinals fans have a lot to be thankful for in Kyle Lohse.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

While the St. Louis Cardinals did make a move before Tuesday afternoon’s non-waiver trade deadline, their NL Central opponents made a bigger splash.

Will the Cardinals be able to make it past the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Cincinnati Reds? Have those teams shown they mean business in 2012?

I think the second question answers itself.

The first question, however, isn’t as clear-cut as some may think.

Through 102 games, the Reds sit atop the Central Division with a 61-41 record. They don’t need to get too comfortable, though.

The Pirates, 58-44, follow by only three games and made several moves in the last week. showing that they plan to go all-in for 2012.

The Cardinals sit seven full games out of first place with a 54-48 record and made only one move before the trade deadline. Is it enough?

Follow the break to see how these deals affect the Cardinals’ efforts to defend their title.

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If the St. Louis Cardinals are considering dealing the organization’s top-pitching prospect, Shelby Miller, there are a handful of potentially available pitchers they could go after.

While there is no guarantee they would be willing to part ways with him, his performance in 2012 has at least shown that he is not untouchable.

His last start was a major improvement, but he has not easily made the transition to Triple-A baseball.

Miller is 4-8 on the season with a 5.79 ERA with the Memphis Redbirds. In 82.1 innings pitched through 18 starts, the 21-year-old RHP has surrendered 17 home runs and 46 walks.

On the positive side, he also has 94 strikeouts. He still has some nasty pitches, but has not responded well to the improved hitting of the Pacific Coast League. Opposing batters are hitting .280 off of him to date.

Don’t let his record fool you. Miller still has what it takes to develop into a top-tier major league pitcher.

While his trade value might not be what it would have been last year, many clubs still know what he is capable of when he gets back on track.

If the Cardinals did decide to move him, what kind of impact players could they get?

In the case of most top-tier starting pitchers, Miller alone won’t make a deal. Following are a list of pitchers that might make the Cardinals more likely to move Miller.

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The St. Louis Cardinals should still be viewed as serious contenders in the second half of the 2012 MLB season despite the loss of Chris Carpenter.

While the loss of any team’s co-ace starting pitcher is a huge blow, the Cardinals have already shown this year that they have what it takes to weather the storm.

In Carpenter’s absence, the team has put together an impressive first half.

With as many as seven key players on the disabled list at once, the Cardinals pushed through a tough May and a tougher early June to find themselves only 2.5 games out of first place and six games over .500 at the All-Star break.

Given the Cardinals’ tough schedule in June and the problems they faced, they could easily be much farther down in the standings.

Following are four reasons the Cardinals will still be legitimate contenders without Carpenter.

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The 2012 MLB All-Star Game received another dose of youth on Saturday afternoon when Bryce Harper was tapped to replace Giancarlo Stanton.

Stanton was removed following a Friday injury and is slated for knee surgery on Sunday, July 8.

Harper joins a colorful list of rookie All-Stars. While he will be the youngest position player of all time, he is not the youngest All-Star.

But he’s close.

Following is a list of 10 of the youngest players to make the MLB All-Star roster.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have certainly faced their share of adversity in 2012.

As injury after injury has swept through the team, they have managed to stay competitive. Even through slumps, the Cardinals still remain less than three games out of the National League Central lead.

While the Cardinals disabled list has thinned recently with the return of Skip Schumaker, Allen Craig, Jon Jay and Matt Carpenter, there are still a handful of impact players out of the lineup.

The Cardinals are 7-3 since their return through Monday, July 2. Prior to that, the team was 7-11 in the month of June.

All who remain are making progress, but some faster than others.

Continue reading for updates on those who remain on the disabled list.

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With the return of Jon Jay and Matt Carpenter, two of the St. Louis Cardinals casualties from the month May, the team seems to have begun playing good baseball. What, or whom, is responsible for the recent offensive upturn?

For the majority of two months, the St. Louis Cardinals have struggled offensively. Whether it’s getting hits, scoring runs or working with runners in scoring position, they kept falling short.

In recent days, however, things have begun to change. Slumps are ending, both for players and the team. While the Cardinals are 4-4 in their last eight games, a deeper look shows a much better trend than the win-loss record indicates.

Following are 10 signs that the Cardinals offense is coming back to life.

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