A version of this story appears in the Sept. 24–Oct. 1, 2018, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—It was late August, and Matt Carpenter couldn't stop vomiting. A stomach bug had knocked him out of his last two games before the seventh inning, and when he reported to Busch Stadium on the third day of his illness on Aug. 31, the Cardinals' first baseman was so dehydrated that trainers had to hook him up to two IVs at the same time.