Prior to Saturday night’s game, the Cardinals held a team meeting.
And while no one was willing to say who spoke or what the theme was, one thing was apparent: the meeting worked.
“This whole year we’ve fought back and this was a great example of that,” Cardinals outfielder Stephen Piscotty said. “Even if we didn’t (win) we’re still right in the thick of it. The fact that we did win is huge.”
It was a low-scoring affair for both sides, it looked like the Cardinals would lose their fourth straight heading into the ninth inning down a run. Randal Grichuk had other ideas. A base hit up the middle by the young star scored Tommy Pham and tied up the game at 2-2.
Later in the inning, Kolten Wong hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. Seung-Hwan Oh got the win. For starter Mike Leake, the veteran went seven strong innings while only allowing two earned runs.
Brandon Moss got the scoring started in the top of the first inning with his 27th home run of the season. It was the first time since Tuesday that the Cardinals had the lead in any game. Most importantly, the Cardinals have kept their hopes alive for the playoffs. They now only trail the Giants and Mets by two games.
“Giving up the up the walk is what hurt,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s a tough one. We played well.”
As of Sunday, the Cardinals have been given a 23.1% chance of making the postseason. While it seems slim, St. Louis is no stranger to cutting things close when it comes to making the playoffs. Despite the constant struggles during the season, there have been plenty of bright spots. And with just a few games remaining, now would be a perfect time to see those shining bright spots now more than ever.
