You absolutely DO NOT hate to see it. Without an actual dog in the fight, that was about as good as the MLB playoffs can get for me.
Having taken a 2-0 lead into the 9th inning of their Game One match-up against the Phillies, the Cardinals were relying on triple-digit closer Ryan Helsley to close it out. Something the Cardinals had done 93 straight times in the postseason with a 2+ run lead in the 9th inning. Seriously. The Cardinals had NEVER LOST IN POSTSEASON HISTORY when leading in the 9th by at least two runs.
Until today.
Helsley could not throw anything remotely close to where he was intending. He loaded the bases. Plunked in a run. And then got pulled. Then things went even further off the rails for the Cardinals:
Another run on a Kyle Schwarber sac fly from there, and the comeback was complete. It was kinda suddenly a blowout in the Phillies’ favor.
Cardinals fans were hitting the exits before that sixth run even scored:
Whooooopsiedoodle:
The Cardinals did get the tying run to the plate in the 9th, by the way, but Yadi Molina struck out to end it.