Phillies break out in the 9th and beat Cardinals in Game 1

ST. LOUIS — The Phillies have shown all season that they know how to overcome adversity. They bounced back from a poor start and the dismissal of their manager to advance to the playoffs, something they hadn’t done in a decade.

So they weren’t going to let a two-run ninth-inning deficit discourage them. Not even against the Cardinals, a team with plenty of experience.

A bases-loaded single by Jean Segura was the key to a six-run ninth-inning rally as Philadelphia ravaged the bullpen and beat the St. Louis 6-3 on Friday in Game 1 of its wild-card series. of the National League.

The Cardinals, Central Division champions and 11-time World Series champions, went 74-3 in games this season in which they led after eight innings.

They ended up blowing a two-run lead in the ninth inning, something that hadn’t happened to them in 94 postseason games, according to Sportradar.

“That’s what we know how to do, fight,” the Phillies’ Alec Bohm said. “We never get tired of this. That’s the way we are.”

St. Louis was about to take another tight game after Juan Yepez pinch-hit a go-ahead home run that opened the seventh inning.

But after struggling all afternoon against Colombian Jose Quintana and the St. Louis bullpen, the Phillies finally mounted a good offense against Ryan Helsley. JT Realmuto led off the ninth inning with a single before walks to Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos loaded the bases.

Then the All-Star closer hit Bohm with a pitch for a run.

Kinesiologists checked out Helsley, who had bruised the middle finger of his throwing hand earlier in the week in Pittsburgh. He tried to throw another pitch but was replaced by Andre Pallante, who accepted the insurance hit to the right side of the infield to give Philadelphia the lead.

For the Phillies, Panamanian Edmundo Sosa without an official win but with one scored. The Dominican Segura 4-1 with a run scored and two produced.

For the Cardinals, the Dominican Albert Pujols 4-0. The Venezuelan Yepez 1-1 with a run scored and two RBIs. Puerto Rican Yadier Molina 4-0.