After mounting a late rally to come back to beat the Braves in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals left no doubt in a convincing win on Wednesday night.
The Cardinals dominated the Braves from the first pitch, winning in a 13-1 laughter that sets them up for a showdown with the Washington Nationals with a trip to the World Series on the line.
St. Louis jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first inning after a comedy of errors by the Braves. A combination of shoddy pitching from starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz and Max Fried, who relieved him after the former got only one out, and defensive blunders led to the Cardinals taking a lead that they knew that they would not relinquish.
Jack Flaherty, St. Louis’s starter, was at his best in the laugher, throwing 6 innings of one-run ball and striking out 8 Braves. Only third baseman Josh Donaldson was able to touch him with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
St. Louis, who was an underdog heading into the series of the Braves, is now only one series win away from playing for its first World Series title since 2011.
