CHICAGO – Do you remember the 21st day of September? In 2019, during one of the St. Louis Cardinals’ recent runs at postseason, they pulled off a thrilling comeback against the rival Chicago Cubs.
The marathon featured six lead changes and 16 pitchers over four and a half hours, and the Cardinals outlasted the Cubs for a 9-8 victory. The marathon win was the third of four consecutive wins for the Cardinals in a Wrigley Field sweep of the Cubs.
Late-game heroics lifted the Cardinals to triumph. In the ninth inning, as the Cardinals trailed 8-7, the Cubs called upon reliable veteran closer Craig Kimbrel. And in matter of minutes, on just two pitches, the Cardinals flipped the script with back-to-back blasts.
On the first pitch, Yadier Molina unloads for a game-tying home run.
“First pitch, and a high fly ball. Left-center, at the wall. GONE!,” said then-Cardinals lead broadcaster Dan McLaughlin. “He tied it, he tied it. Solo home run, Molina.”
On the next pitch, Paul DeJong delivers a go-ahead shot. And that’s all the Cardinals needed.
Back-to-back blasts on back-to-back pitches. From trailing to leading. Quite a turn of events.
“And this one, driven out to left-center,” said McLaughlin. “Back-to-back. YES! YES! YES! St. Louis on top. Two bombs, two pitchers. 9-8 St. Louis. They’re shocked here at Wrigley!”
It got quiet really quickly at The Friendly Confines, at least among Cubs fans. Cheers from traveling Cardinals fans and the team dugout quickly echoed the stadium as the Cardinals delivered a gut-punching blow.
Carlos Martinez secured the victory with a scoreless ninth inning. The very next day, in the four-game series finale, the Cardinals won another close game and at the time clinched their first postseason berth since 2015.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the game, setting the stage for a back-and-forth affair.
Cubs jumped ahead 3-1 at the end of the first inning, taking their first lead on a bases-loaded walk.
Cardinals strike back for a 5-3 lead on a Dexter Fowler single in the fourth inning.
Cubs tie in the fourth inning and take a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning on home runs from Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner.
Marcell Ozuna delivers a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, good for a 7-5 Cardinals lead.
Tony Kemp answers back with a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh, putting the Cubs on top. 8-7.
Molina and DeJong slug back-to-back home runs against Kimbrel to put the Cardinals ahead 9-8 and cap a resilient effort.
The 2019 Cardinals won the NL Central with a 91-71 record and advanced to the NLCS before being swept by the eventual World Series champions, the Washington Nationals.
Highlights from the Sept. 21, 2019 game provided by Bally Sports Midwest, then known as FOX Sports Midwest.