Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series between St. Louis and Los Angeles will go down as one for the ages, in a game many thought was over before the sixth inning.
With two of baseball’s best pitchers on the mound facing off, the Cardinals and Dodgers, two of the most storied franchises in history, clashed in a rematch of the NLCS from last year.
Adam Wainwright and Clayton Kershaw faced off in an epic battle.
Or at least, it was supposed to be an epic battle between them.
The game started, and with one out in the first, rookie Randal Grichuk, in his first postseason game, took a pitch from Kershaw over the left field wall to give St. Louis the early 1-0 lead. And while it was a good way to start off, for the next six innings, the Cardinals looked dead at the plate, as Kershaw shut them down with ease.
As for Wainwright, the Dodgers took it to him early. In the bottom of the third, Yasiel Puig was hit by a pitch, and, with Adrian Gonzalez stepped up to the plate, things began to become very heated.
Gonzalez and Yadier Molina exchanged words as both benches cleared, and with the umpires trying to maintain order.
Puig was eventually able to advance to second, and then Hanley Ramirez singled to right, scoring Puig, and tying the game up at one. But that wasn’t all. Carl Crawford then hit a ground rule double to right field, scoring Ramirez, giving the Dodgers the lead.
Working on extended rest, Wainwright just didn’t seem like the sharp ace he usually is, with his pitch count exceeding 60 before the fifth inning. Los Angeles’s hitters constantly kept at-bats long and hard-fought, forcing Wainwright’s pitch count higher than usual per each inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, a single by Puig scored A.J Ellis and, following a Matt Kemp single, the score suddenly was 4-1 Dodgers, and it only got worse.
The following inning, Adam Wainwright’s final pitch of the game was to Ellis, and he took it deep for a two-run home run to make it 6-1 heading into the sixth. Matt Carpenter was able to put a minor dent in the lead, with a solo shot making it 6-2.
But for the Dodgers and Kershaw, the game looked like it was all over.
And then, the Cardinals came alive out of nowhere.
In the seventh inning, Matt Holliday and Jhonny Peralta both singled to center, followed by another single from Molina. Matt Adams was able to single as well, scoring Holliday and cutting the deficit to three. Jon Jay eventually singled to left, scoring Peralta, while the bases remained loaded. Oscar Taveras pinch-hit for Marco Gonzales didn’t go as planned, as he struck out, one of the last bright moments from Kershaw during the night, who had dominated the Redbirds’ bats all day prior to the seventh.
Carpenter once again stepped up to the plate, and hit a double to deep right, clearing the bases and giving St. Louis their first lead, 7-6.
Pedro Baez entered the game in relief for Kershaw, but the inning wasn’t over. After a walk to Grichuk, Holliday came up, and with one swing of the bat, propelled the Cardinals to a 10-6 lead with a 400+ foot home-run to left field.
Carlos Martinez entered the game, and shut down the Dodgers. Veteran reliever Randy Choate wasn’t as sharp, allowing a two run homer to Gonzalez to cut the St. Louis lead to two runs. Pat Neshek entered the game, to put down Los Angeles in the eighth, and although the Cardinals tried to increase their lead the following inning, the score remained 10-8 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Enter Trevor Rosenthal.
Rosenthal, after striking out Juan Uribe, allowed two consecutive base hits, and with a Dee Gordon sacrifice, the score became 10-9. With two outs and a runner at third in a one-run game, Puig once again stepped up to the plate.
And Rosenthal struck him out.
A game that was supposed to be a pitchers’ duel turned out to be a shootout between the bats late in the game, as the Cardinals won 10-9.
St. Louis heads into Saturday night with a 1-0 series lead, with a battle between Lance Lynn and Zack Greinke up next.
Friday night once again proved you cannot count the Cardinals out.
Especially in October baseball.
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
