ZCZC
BSP-02
BASEBALL-MLB-USA
Cardinals rally to edge Braves in MLB playoff opener
LOS ANGELES, Oct 4, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The St. Louis Cardinals rallied with
four runs in the ninth inning Thursday to edge the Braves 7-6 in Atlanta in
the first game of their Major League Baseball playoff series.
The Cardinals, back in the post-season for the first time since 2015, shook
off some costly defensive miscues that saw them trailing 3-1 through seven
innings.
St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt led off the eighth with a 446-foot
home run as the Cardinals scored two runs to knot the score at 3-3.
Marcell Ozuna and Kolten Wong both hit two-run doubles off Braves closing
pitcher Mark Melancon in the ninth to give St. Louis a 7-3 lead.
The bases were loaded with one out when Ozuna, trailing 0-2 in the count,
smacked a line drive up the third-base line that put St. Louis ahead.
Wong plated two more runs with a double up the first-base line.
The Braves tried to battle back.
Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a two-run homer off Carlos Martinez, and Freddie
Freeman added a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth before Martinez got the
final two outs to seal the win.
Atlanta had taken the lead in the sixth inning, snapping a 1-1 tie when
Dansby Swanson’s grounder bounced off Cardinals third baseman Tommy Edman.
The ball deflected toward shortstop Paul DeJong, but his poor throw to
second let a second run score on the play.
But it’s the Cardinals who go into game two of the best-of-five series on
Friday with the upper hand.
The Braves — who have lost nine straight playoff series — will be trying
to turn things around before the series shifts to St. Louis.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0829 hrs