National Post (National Edition)
Cards push Braves to limit
If it is going to be a Braves new world this post season, the first step to take them there will have to go the distance.
The National League East champs couldn’t put away the host Cardinals on Monday afternoon at Busch Stadium and eventually paid the price, falling 5-4 in 10 innings.
The Cards walked it off to end a dramatic back-andforth between the respective division champions to force Game 5 of their NLDS at SunTrust Park in Atlanta Wednesday.
Kolten Wong got it started with a ground-rule double into the left-field corner and then with one out, the man who forced extras came to the plate to changes of “Yadi, Yadi.” And Yadier Molina delivered with a sacrifice fly to deep left field to bring across the winning run.
It was a game — and a series – there for the taking as the Braves had the bases loaded in the sixth and the seventh and a leadoff double from Ronald Acuna Jr. in the ninth but couldn’t take advantage.
A best-of-five series that has been high on drama since the outset will now go the distance back in Atlanta.
The squandered Braves chances injected some life back into the Cardinals, who tied it at 4-4 in the eighth when Molina came through with a clutch — and opportunistic — RBI single. The weak contact just eluded the grasp of Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who got the tip of his glove on the ball only to see it bound into shallow right.
The Braves, who have dropped nine consecutive playoff series, will attempt to advance for the first time since 2001 in the critical Game 5.
To advance in the second year of their Canadian general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, they’ll need to be more opportunistic than they were on Monday, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
The Cards came out meaning business with back-to-back solo homers in the first from Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna for a quick 2-0 lead. When Ozuna added his second round-tripper to the game in the fourth, their lead was back to 3-1.
A would-be winning rally for the Braves would come in the fifth when a sharply struck liner by Adam Duvall was bobbled by Cards third baseman Matt Carpenter, allowing Dansby Swanson to score. That was followed by a two-run Ozzie Albies homer to give the visitors their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Postmedia News rlongley@postmedia.com