CHICAGO — The St. Louis Cardinals are on the doorstep of the playoffs after extending their team-record winning streak to 16 Sunday with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.
The Cardinals rallied in the top of the ninth inning without a ball leaving the infield and held on during a bizarre bottom of the inning to finish off a four-game sweep in Chicago. The Cardinals led the race for the final Wild Card spot by six games over the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds after Sunday's games.
The decisive ninth inning added multiple entries to the long list of strange plays that have helped the Cardinals rattle off 16 consecutive wins to take total control over the final Wild Card spot.
In a 2-2 game, Andrew Kizner, who started behind the plate Sunday, led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. Lars Nootbaar tried to advance the runner with a bunt but beat the throw to first for an infield single. A sacrifice bunt by Tommy Edman and an intentional walk to Paul Goldschmidt loaded the bases for Tyler O'Neill.
The first pitch to O'Neill skipped away from Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, allowing Kizner to score. Cubs pitcher Codi Heuer bobbled a comebacker a few pitches later, allowing Nootbaar to score an insurance run.
In the bottom half of the inning, Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos struck out the first hitter but walked the next two. With one out, Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel popped up to third, but the play did not go as expected.
Third baseman Nolan Arrenado over-ran the ball, allowing it to drop in fair territory. Arrenado then flipped the ball to third, and Paul Dejong threw it to Edman for what appeared to be a game-ending double play.
After conferring with the other umpires, however, the crew decided that the infield fly was in effect, nullifying the force-outs that the Cardinals got at third and second. Although Edman tagged one of the runners who was off second base during the play, the second-base umpire had already called timeout. The result of the play, the umpires ruled, was runners on second and third with two outs.
Cardinals Manager Mike Shildt erupted from the dugout and was ejected from the game for arguing the decision.
After the dust settled, Gallegos returned to the mound and struck out Ian Happ on four pitches to close out the game and finish off the sweep, extending the franchise-record winning streak to 16 games.
Earlier in the game, the Cardinals launched two more home runs: a 464-foot homer to center field by Paul Goldschmidt and a 427-foot shot out of Wrigley Field by Harrison Bader.
The Cardinals opened the scoring with a 464-foot home run by Paul Goldschmidt in the third inning. It was Goldschmidt's 31st home run of the season, his second of the series and ninth in the month of September. It was the Cardinals' 12th and 13th home runs of the four-game series.
The Cubs scored both of their runs off Cardinals starter Jake Woodford in the fourth inning. Willson Contreras walked and Matt Duffy singled to start the inning. Contreras came around to score on a one-out double by Sergio Alcantara. David Bote drove Duffy home with a sacrifice fly one batter later.
Woodford allowed two runs on six hits in five-and-a-third innings. The bullpen held the Cubs scoreless the rest of the way, striking out seven and allowing two hits.
The Milwaukee Brewers clinched the National League Central division crown with a win Sunday afternoon. That leaves the Cardinals with just one path to the playoffs, a Wild Card berth.
