They truly believed they had the team to go all the way, at least to the World Series. They had perhaps the best two pitchers in baseball in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, who may finish 1-2 in National League Cy Young Award balloting. They had the likely NL MVP in Albert Pujols. And they had the midseason pickup of the year in Matt Holliday.

Instead, they are going home, trying to figure out what went wrong after a stunning three-game sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We didn't want to go home like this, and I didn't want to finish out like this," said Joel Pineiro, the Cardinals' losing pitcher in Saturday's series finale. "It's nothing that's going to go away in one day. It's nothing that's just going to go away tomorrow when I wake up. No, it's going to sink in.

"It's going to be here for a while."

The Cardinals, who had 91 victories this year and the best record in the National League after acquiring Holliday on July 24, dropped 11 of their last 13 games, including the three that mattered most.

"We're better than what we showed the last three games," third baseman Mark DeRosa said. "The Dodgers know that. But it doesn't matter now. It's a shame because we have too good a team to lose like this."

Pujols, who failed to homer in his final 89 regular-season at-bats, never addressed the news media. Holliday, whose error in Game 2 cost them the chance to tie the series, waited nearly an hour before emerging. The office of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was kept shut.

"You think you're going to come back tomorrow and win a game," said veteran pitcher John Smoltz. "This is the cruelty of the postseason.

"Nobody played scared. Nobody played tentative. We just didn't get it done."

The Cardinals are left with plenty of questions. Do they bring back Holliday, who made $13.5 million and will be the top free agent outfielder on the market? Do La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan want to return?

Will Pujols, a free agent in a year, sign a contract extension? Can they afford to re-sign Pineiro? Do they bring back Smoltz, who says he wants to return? Do they cut ties with outfielder Rick Ankiel?

The Cardinals knew there would be questions. They just didn't plan on having to answer them so quickly.

"This is a talented group, but the sad part is that there are going to be guys on this team that are not going to be back," DeRosa said.

Holliday, 2-for-12 with a home run in the series, plans to assess the market. He loved St. Louis and says he appreciated the support after his blunder in Game 2, receiving a standing ovation from the sellout crowd. Yet, he doesn't know what the Cardinals plan to offer, the Cardinals don't know what he'll be seeking, and no one knows just how much that dropped ball will factor in any of it.

"Ain't no free lunch," La Russa said Sunday, cleaning his office, delaying any decision on his possible return. "Matt's going to take some hits for this."

Said DeRosa: "That obviously is the play people will be talking about. But we're not even in the playoffs if Matt Holliday doesn't solidify the offense and get hot."

DeRosa, who says he'll have wrist surgery in the offseason, also would like to return. His future, like those of so many in the organization, is uncertain.

"Lessons will be learned and we'll come back," Wainwright said. "I promise you I'll remember how that felt. You never like guys celebrating against you."

Said right fielder Ryan Ludwick: "It's something I don't want to remember. Not for a long time."

Enlarge By Darron Cummings, AP Albert Pujols, watching the final inning of the Cardinals' season on Saturday, was held to one RBI in the three-game division series.