ST. LOUIS — 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 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-and-forth between the respective division champions to force Game 5 at SunTrust Park on 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 chants of “Yadi, Yadi.”
And Yadeir 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.
GAME ON
With elimination on the table, 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 of 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.
– The Braves had a chance to break it open with the bases loaded in back-to-back innings but when Duvall struck out to end the sixth and Adeiny Hechavarria flew out to left field to terminate the seventh, it was crisis averted.
– The three homers allowed in his 3.1 innings of work were uncharacteristic for Dallas Keuchel, who had allowed just five in his previous 56 innings of post-season action.
– The Cards also had an opportunity to walk it off in the ninth when Tommy Edman led off with a single and advanced to second on a one-out throwing error.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
