Major League Baseball had hoped the first ever wild-card round playoff game would be unforgettable. They had no idea how right they would be.
The Cardinals continued their strong play in elimination games and the umpires made a controversial call as the St. Louis defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-3 to advance to the division series against the Washington Nationals.
The one-game playoff had all the drama a fan could ask for. Maybe too much for Atlanta fans.
The crowd protested a tough call from the umpires in the eighth inning by throwing anything they could onto the field: beer bottles, food wrappers, soda cups and more. The teams fled the field for the safety of the dugout and waited 19 minutes as the umpires sorted everything out.
After making an infield fly rule call that helped stop a Braves rally, fans started a small revolt. Atlanta protested the game and sent third baseman Chipper Jones into retirement with a loss in his final game.
Following the game Major League Baseball executive Joe Torre spoke at a press conference with the umpires, explaining the call. Torre also mentioned that the protest by the Braves was denied because it was an umpire's judgment, which isn't basis for a protest.
"I talked to Fredi (Gonzalez, Braves manager) after the game and it's unusual circumstances based on a one-game playoff, 24 hours and waiting for a written report, didn't make sense, spoke to them, asked them what they were basing their protest on and I ruled basically to disallow the protest based on the fact that it was an umpire's judgment call," Torre said, according to the Associated Press "We made it clear to them that because of the situation with the one-game playoff, it makes no sense to wait the 24 hours."
The Braves took an early 2-0 league in the second inning after catcher David Ross, who was starting for Brian McCann, homered to centerfield. Atlanta starter Kris Medlen, who hadn't lost in 23 straight starts, was coasting through the early innings until the fourth when the game started to fall apart.
Third baseman Chipper Jones, who was playing in the final game of his career, committed an error in the fourth that allowed the Cardinals to get back into the game.
"Ultimately, I feel I'm the one to blame," Jones said. "That should have been a tailor-made double play."
After fielding a routine grounder Jones threw to second to set up a double play, but the ball sailed high into right field, allowing the inning to continue. The Cardinals were set up with two men on and no outs and made Atlanta pay the price.
Allen Craig hit a long double off the left field to cut the score to 2-1 before catcher Yadier Molina drove in another run on a groundout. The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly from David Freese and never looked back.
The Braves hurt themselves throughout the game, committing three errors, including on a routine ground ball in the seventh inning that second baseman Dan Uggla couldn't handle. The inning only got worse from there.
Shortstop Angrelton Simmons threw away a ball to home plate and later in the inning Braves reliever Jonny Venters couldn't connect on a tag at first base allowing the Cardinals to add another run, taking a 6-2 lead.
"We played to win the game," Molina said. "They played to lose the game."
The Braves added a run in the seventh inning and later put two men on in the ninth, but St. Louis reliever Jason Motte was able to close out the game for the win.
The controversial moment came in the eighth inning when Simmons hit a shallow ball to left field that dropped in for a hit. But Sam Holbrook called an infield fly rule, ruling Simmons out.
"Once that fielder established himself, he got ordinary effort," Holbrook said, referring to shortstop Pete Kozma calling for the ball, then veering away at the last moment as left fielder Holliday drifted in. "That's when the call was made."
The fans started throwing debris on the field soon after.
"It was scary at first," St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina said. "I've never seen that before."
The Cardinals will face the Washington Nationals at home on Sunday.
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