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St. Louis 6, Arizona 3

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Miguel Cairo, filling in for the injured Scott Rolen, went three for three with two runs scored and two RBI Saturday night as the St. Louis Cardinals downed the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-3, completing a three-game Division Series sweep of the defending world champions.

With Rolen likely sidelined until the World Series with a shoulder injury, Cairo got the start Saturday after delivering the key hit in Game 2. Despite hitting just .250 during the season, he justified manager Tony La Russa's faith.

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Cairo had an RBI single in the second inning, was hit by a pitch and scored in the fourth, beat out an infield hit in the sixth and drove in an insurance run in the eighth with a double -- the Cardinals' lone extra-base hit.

The win is the latest success in an emotionally trying season for the Cardinals, who overcame the June deaths of veteran righthander Darryl Kile and legendary broadcaster Jack Buck.

St. Louis advanced to the League Championship Series for the second time in three years and avenged a loss to the Diamondbacks in last year's Division Series.

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Arizona got by St. Louis in the first round and eventually outlasted the New York Yankees in seven games in the World Series.

But Arizona was put in hole when aces Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling failed to win either of the first two games of this series.

St. Louis took the lead for good in the fourth inning with Cairo scoring the go-ahead run.

He was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to third on a single by Mike Matheny. St. Louis starter Andy Benes stayed in the game to bat and laid down a suicide squeeze bunt that delivered Cairo.

Fernando Vina then singled Matheny home to make it 4-2.

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