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SPORTS Friday 11 OctOber 2019
10-spot: Cards oust

Braves from NLDS

with record 1st inning

ATLANTA (AP) — The St. mark set by the Chicago
Louis Cardinals turned the Cubs between 1908 and
diamond into a giant pin- 2003.
ball machine, dinging hits Carrying on the tradition
all over SunTrust Park. that started at Atlanta-
By the time the Atlanta Fulton County Stadium,
Braves finally got the third moved on to Turner Field
out, it was the most pro- and is now becoming an
ductive first inning in post- annual occurrence at Sun-
season history. Trust Park, it was a visiting
The Cardinals scored 10 team that got to celebrate
runs their first time up and in the A-T-L.
dealt Atlanta another play- The Cardinals broke out T-
off heartbreak, routing shirts and caps, hopped
the Braves 13-1 in decisive around in the middle of the
Game 5 of the NL Division infield and gathered on the
Series on Wednesday. pitcher's mound for a team
"That was crazy," said Mar- portrait with the center field
cell Ozuna, one of five play- video board looming as a St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera waves his hat in the air as he celebrates with
ers who batted twice in the backdrop. teammates after the Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves 13-1 in Game 5 of their National League
stunning outburst. "We got For the 13th time in 21 post- Division Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, in Atlanta.
a good opportunity — and season appearances since Associated Press
we took it." moving to Atlanta, the
Before many fans had Braves finished the year 10-spot in what might've crowd stirred nervously fell down picking the ball
reached their seats, the with a loss on their home been the first set of defen- when Marcell Ozuna lined up near the backstop and
Cardinals were already field. sive moves ever made by a another single to right to threw late to first from his
booking plans for the NL "It was more of a shock team before its opponent bring home the first run. backside while Wong sped
Championship Series, than anything," said Josh had batted. There was no Then, the play that essen- home.
where they will face Wash- Donaldson, whose homer need to worry about any tially finished off the Braves. McCann announced after
ington in a best-of-seven provided the lone Atlan- more offense with budding Yadier Molina drilled a one- the game that he's retiring.
set beginning Friday at ta run. "You don't expect ace Jack Flaherty on the hopper to first that Freeman TRAINER'S ROOM
Busch Stadium. The wild- something like that to hap- mound, coming off one of likely would've turned into Cardinals: After missing two
card Nationals knocked pen, especially with how the great second halves by an inning-ending double weeks with a strained left
off the favored Los Ange- well we played all season." a starting pitcher in base- play if he made the scoop. hamstring, 2B Wong has
les Dodgers 7-3 in their own The Cardinals batted ball history. Instead, everyone was safe held up well in his postsea-
Game 5, getting a grand around and got more than "We took the crowd out of when the ball deflected off son return. "He feels great
slam from Howie Kendrick halfway through their order it," Fowler said. "We knew his glove and rolled slowly and hasn't really missed a
in the 10th inning. a second time before the Folty would try to get ahead toward second base to beat," Shildt said.
It will be St. Louis' first NLCS Braves even came to the of us. We were trying to get leave the bases loaded. Braves: 2B Ozzie Albies re-
trip since 2014. plate. some good pitches to hit. It "This one is on me," Free- mained in the game af-
"We know we can beat Tommy Edman, Dexter was a little easier to see the man said. ter appearing to hurt his
anyone at this point," Kol- Fowler and Wong all had ball today." Matt Carpenter walked to right hand while dropping
ten Wong said. two-run doubles as St. Manager Mike Shildt let the force in a run and Edman a throw from SS Dansby
For the Braves, it might take Louis equaled the highest- 23-year-old Flaherty throw ripped a two-run double Swanson attempting to turn
a while to get over this de- scoring inning in postsea- 104 pitches over six innings, to make it 4-0. After Paul a double play in the third in-
bacle. son history, a record set by surrendering four hits for the DeJong was handed an ning. A trainer gave Albies'
After pitching seven score- the Philadelphia Athletics first postseason win of his intentional walk to re-load hand a quick examination
less innings in a Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs blossoming career. Flaherty the bases, Atlanta man- during a pitching change.
win, Mike Foltynewicz re- in the 1929 World Series. It loaded the bases in the fifth ager Brian Snitker emerged UP NEXT
tired only one hitter be- was matched by the De- after drilling Ronald Acuña from the dugout to call in The Cardinals lost to San
fore getting yanked. First troit Tigers (1968 World Se- Jr. with a fastball, but in- 17-game winner Max Fried. Francisco in five games
baseman Freddie Freeman ries vs. St. Louis), the Ana- duced an inning-ending Flaherty drew another bas- at the 2014 NLCS, their
booted a potential double- heim Angels (2002 ALCS vs. groundout from Freeman. es-loaded walk and Fowler last of four straight trips to
play ball that might have Minnesota) and, now, the This one, though, will long lined a two-run double the round. The NL Cen-
limited the damage. The Cardinals. be remembered for what down the left-field line to tral champions went 5-2
Cardinals scored their final No team had ever scored happened before Flaherty make it 7-0. Wong followed against Washington in their
run of the inning on a strike- 10 runs in the very first inning even took the mound. with yet another two-run 2019 season series.
out — a wild pitch in the of a postseason game. It BLOW BY BLOW double, pushing the score After a second straight NL
dirt that skipped away from was the first time the Braves Foltynewicz, who didn't to a staggering 9-0. East title, the Braves head
catcher Brian McCann. franchise has allowed that walk anyone in Game 2, Wong tagged and hustled into the offseason with a
"We just strung together a many opening-inning runs started ominously with a to third on Goldschmidt's solid nucleus of young tal-
bunch of great at-bats," in any game since they walk to Fowler. Wong fol- lineout to right. Ozuna ap- ent but the burden of an-
Wong said. were in Boston on July 2, lowed with a sacrifice bunt peared to end the inning other postseason flop. Don-
It was Atlanta's 10th straight 1925, against the Brooklyn — the only hitter Foltyne- when he flailed at a ball in aldson is a potential free
postseason round loss since Robins. wicz retired. the dirt for strike three, but agent, along with pitcher
its last victory 18 long years The Cardinals made sev- Paul Goldschmidt reached McCann couldn't corral Dallas Keuchel, who strug-
ago, tying the ignominious eral changes after their on an infield hit, and the the wild pitch. The catcher gled in his two NLDS starts.q