Hold the Nats and we have 2/3/4 against their closer. If there was ever a time for the middle of the lineup to wake up, this is it.

All you can ask for is 2/3/4 with a chance to tie.

Of course, all you could ask for is for Waino to start too...

These guys just dont give up. It's pretty cool to be a fan of a "tough" team, even if it is "baseball tough".

If I was a Nationals fan I'd be sweating bullets with Beltran, Holliday, Craig, Freese and Molina all coming up that can hit the ball out.

Don't understand why you throw Motte. Who goes in the 9th for a potential save?

He's throwing 2 innings.

You want to give yourself the best chance to go in top of 9 with it still a one run game. If we tie or take the lead, then deal with it then.

Not to mention he sucks in non-save situations.

Nats blow it up here. Bad move Matheny.

Maybe I am biased since I have played baseball my whole life but I think in a way it is harder to be "tough" in baseball because you control so little. You can't field it just by choice, and you are only up 1 out of every 9 times, and even then your fate can be with the pitcher, umpire, fielders, and luck. There is a lot more effort to be mentally tough in baseball, because its so much more about belief than effort.

That song was cool by the Nats fans. As a Yanks fan my team went from mentally tough for 6 years to whatever that was for the next 10 or so. Now they are in the middle. 2011 Cards vs. 1996 Yankees would be something.

That's what a 2-out hit looks like Cards. Jesus ****ing Christ.

that was a foot off the plate and at his ankles. He got lucky.

Just like their other 7 ****ing runs were luck, right?

Elevate the fastball and he doesn't touch it. Throw it low and slow and you give him a chance. No need to speed up a punch and judy hitter's bat.

Agreed. You gave him a chance to put a good swing on it.

Lead off double. Gotta like the chances to score at least one. Thanks Motte.

Beltran is too good. The Cards need more than just him to show up, though.

Holliday is A Rod in the playoffs.

Craig with the plate discipline of a reeruned three year old on a sugar high.

Can Freese save the Cardinals' asses again?

Stupid to not hold Molina on IMO.

Well you knew it wasn't going to be a 1, 2, 3 inning with the Cards.

Nope, but he did put them in a position where even a bloop single will tie it.

Unbelievable

Or that. Holy shit.

Hell Yeah!

****ing unreal

One day a doctor is going to do an x-ray of this franchise and find they have a horseshoe implanted firmly up their colon.

Come on Kozma.

Wow... the umps didn't give the Nationals the swinging strikeout. You just knew that when the homeplate ump gave the Cardinals the lifeline they were going to grab it.

Wow. MLB couldn't have asked for more drama than these 4 series. May never see another set of 4 series like this all at once.

No ****ing way. Wow.

Holy crap, what a game.

Way to go Storen

Yes!

LMAO


JFC

lol, this team.

Game.... wow, the ump totally blew that swinging strike out.

YES YES YES!! HOLY ****ING SHIT!!

Keep making me look bad BRC ;)

That didnt just happen. I am not buying it.

If Motte hits one into the gap I quit.

Watching at a bar in St Louis. This is so ****ing awesome!

What's with all this run scoring and shit?

Ohh and Storen should have been out of the game when he was on the mound cussing because of the screwjob.

Amazing 9th for the cards

Just so many intangibles on this team. It's too much to handle.

I don't think he went. Even if you believe he did, I am not sure it can be constructed as a screw job.

Didn't even come close to going there Hoss.

He didn't go. Not even sure why that's an issue.

He went... no big deal. Storen had a chance to get out of it.. he melted down. He was cussing big time there and you could just tell he was going to blow it.

My living room is now very clean from the nervous energy of watching this game.

How the **** am I supposed to work at 6 am?

Imagine going if you had lost.

With A LOT of coffee... and some heart meds.

http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.as...=0&season=2012

Check that graph out.

Jayson Stark ‏@jaysonst
No team has ever come back from more than 4 runs down to win a winner-take-all postseason game. Cardinals were down 6-0 - & just kept coming

Thats like the graph from last year look at the Red Sox chances vs. the Rays during the end of the season.

I don't believe what I just saw.

Yeah they showed that during the Reds game.

What a win.

Jesus

WOOT WOOT!

Nats got up big too quick vs. the wrong team.

Is that the Cardinals players saying "you got to get rid of Drew"?

back atcha, princess. F**K OFF!

I blame Strasburg

I at least would have been able to sleep without an adrenaline rush.

...

Kozma acts like he's on the losing team.

He should have at least been put in the bullpen. The Nats are playing for future years, this is what you get. Tough play but Espinosa needs to knock that down.

Kozma's not really one for the interviews, is he?

WE ****ING RULE!!!!!!!

really ****ing stupid of them to hold him in tyhe play offs, why not a few games in the regular season and let him pitch a few in the post season. shit will never make sense to me, but good luck to the cardinals.

They have put so much pressure on themselves. They need to win multiple championships to justify that move.

Well that's what champions do.... good job tonight Cardinals.