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Recent history is on the Cardinals' side on Monday

Jake Arrieta might be the toughest pitcher the Cardinals have faced in the playoffs in recent history, but don't count the Cardinals out.
Jake Arrieta(Left), Clayton Kershaw (Top), Roger Clemens (Middle) and Randy Johnson(Bottom).

There is no denying the greatness of Jake Arrieta in 2015.

He was first in wins with 22, second in ERA at 1.77, third in strikeouts with 236 and second in WHIP with a 0.86 mark.

In all likelihood, those numbers will earn him the National League Cy Young award. But winning the Cy Young award in the National League does not spell out postseason success against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Since 2000, the St. Louis Cardinals have come up against the best that the National League has to offer on the mound, and time after time, they have sent them back to the dugout with a stat line more indicative of a number five starter than a bona fide ace.

In their 12 trips to the playoffs since 2000, the Cardinals have taken on the NL Cy Young winner five times.The first two were against the Hall of Famer — and among the best pitchers of all time — Randy Johnson.

In the 2001 NLDS, the Cardinals fell to the Diamondbacks in five games, but one of the wins came at the expense of the 6-foot-10 lefty. Johnson piched eight innings in his only game against the Cardinals, and had a respectable stat-line — eight innings, six hits, three earned runs — but could not top the Cardinals, who won the game 4-1 tying the series at one.

Johnson's co-ace Curt Schilling picked up wins in games one and five to carry the D-Backs on to the next round. Johnson finished out the postseason with a flourish in 2001, throwing two complete games, allowing just 4 runs in 33 innings and striking out 38 hitters.

The next year, the Cardinals drew the D-Backs in the NLDS once again, and Johnson — who won his fourth straight Cy Young award in 2002 — was waiting to get some revenge. But the Cardinals were not having it.

Johnson pitched in game one, and the Cardinals gave him an even harsher welcome to the mound. Johnson pitched 6 innings but allowed 12 base-runners and five earned runs. He allowed home runs to Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen.

The Cardinals went on to sweep the series, but fell short of the World Series when they were defeated by the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.

The next time they would match up with a Cy Young Winner was 2004 against Roger Clemens. Clemens is the only one on this list with a win against the Cardinals.

Clemens started game three and picked up the Astros' first win of the series. He tossed seven innings, allowing just four hits and two runs.

But game seven of the series was a different story. Clemens cruised into the sixth inning having allowed just one run, and with the Astros leading 2-1. With two outs in the sixth, Albert Pujols doubled home a run, and Scott Rolen backed him up with a two-run homer, putting the Cardinals up for good.

In all, Clemens threw 13 innings in the series, allowing five earned runs and posting a 1-1 record.

The most recent — and most highly publicized — victim of the Cardinals playoff success is Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is the two-time reigning Cy Young winner, but the Cardinals had his number in each of the last two postseasons.

The Cardinals have knocked Kershaw around to the tune of 18 earned runs and an 0-4 record in four starts. In the two series that the Cardinals have faced off against the Dodgers in the last two years, they have moved on with series-clinching wins against the Dodgers' ace.

In all, NL Cy Young Award winners since 2001 have combined for a 1-7 record, 5.80 ERA and a 1.228 WHIP against the Red Birds.

Jake Arrieta might be the toughest pitcher the Cardinals have faced in the playoffs in recent history, but don't count the Cardinals out.

After all, October is for the Birds.

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