On Tuesday night, the New York Yankees season ended when the Boston Red Sox topped them in a 6-2 MLB wild-card contest at Fenway Park. Next, the Boston Red Sox will face the Tampa Bay Rays, the clear AL East division leader. That series will start on Thursday evening.
Tonight the National League MLB wild card was decided to see what team would play the NL West leader San Francisco Giants in the division series. The winner of those contests, AL and NL, will go on to their respective championship series; the winners to each will match up in the 2021 World Series.
The game tonight was between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals had an impressive 17 game winning streak to get into the wild card game. The Dodgers won 17 of its last 20 games to get their berth in the wild card. All eyes would be on Tyler O’Neill, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado, who combined for 28 homers of the 52 St. Louis had in September. Tonight the two teams met at Dodger Stadium, with the winner of the game facing the Giants in the NL divisional series.
The Dodgers sent righty Max Scherzer to the mound to face the Cardinals Adam Wainwright. These were two of the hottest pitchers this season. Scherzer was 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA. The Dodgers have won his last 13 consecutive starts. Wainwright was 17-7 with an ERA of 3.05. He is coming off his 17th win of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, with the Cardinals winning his last eight straight starts.
The Los Angeles Dodgers topped the St. Luis Cardinals this season, winning four of their seven games together, giving the Dodgers the home-field advantage in the wild card game.
In the first inning of the wild card game, Scherzer faced the Cardinals. The Cardinals started the game with a man on. A steal and a walk, and Scherzer was in trouble. A wild pitch allowed the Cardinals to get on the board first. But a strikeout and fly-out got him out of the inning without further damage. At the bottom of the inning, Mookie Bettes led off against Wainwright with a single to short. But that is all they would get. Cardinals 1 Dodgers 0.
The second and third innings were scoreless, as was the top of the fourth, But in the bottom of the fourth, the Dodgers got the run back when Justin Turner homered off Wainwright. After that, the fifth inning was scoreless for both teams. Los Angeles Dodgers 1 St. Louis Cardinals 1.
In the top of the sixth inning, Max Scherzer was replaced by Brusdar Graterol, who shut down the Cardinals. In the bottom with Wainwright still on the mound for the Cardinals. With a man on first and Justin Turner coming up, Wainwright’s night was over replaced by Luis Garcia. Turner walked for two on and two outs. But by the end of the inning, it remained with the teams still tied at one.
At the top of the seventh, Blake Treinen took over the pitching for the Dodgers and did the job with the game remaining tied. At the bottom, with Garcia still on the mound for the Cardinals, Cody Bellinger singled and stole second. But Mookie Betts flew out to left to end the inning still tied.
The eighth inning with one on the Dodgers made a pitching change replacing Treinen with Corey Knebel, who got the final out, ending the half still tied. At the bottom, the Cardinal closer Glovanny Gallegos took the mound, and Trea Turner singled to left field, but it was for naught was Gallego closed out the inning scoreless for the Dodgers. Dodgers 1 Cardinals 1.
At the top of the ninth inning, closer Kenley Jensen took the mound for the Dodgers. Tommy Edman singled to right field. Edman stole second. Tyler O’Neill struck out to end the half leaving the Dodgers the ability to walk it off in the bottom of the inning. The Cardinals sent T. J. McFarland to the mound in the bottom to shut down the Dodgers. Albert Pujols pinch-hitting flew out to center. Steven Souza flew out for out number two. Cody Bellinger walked and ended McFarland’s night. He was replaced by Alex Reyes facing Chris Taylor. Bellinger stole second for the second time in the game. Taylor homered to left with the Dodgers walk-off win.
The final score was the Los Angeles Dodgers 3 and the St. Louis Cardinals 1. The winning pitcher was Kenley Jensen, and the loser was T. J. McFarland. The Los Angles Dodgers will go on to the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants for the first time in baseball history.
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