ST. LOUIS _ A rare, less-than-sellout playoff crowd of 42,203 turned up at Busch Stadium Monday afternoon/night as the Cardinals tried to stay alive in the National League Division Series by winning Game 4. Those who didn't/couldn't make it missed something.
For a while, when Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna homered in the first, it seemed as if the Cardinals would win easily.
Then, Ozuna homered again in the third. But the Atlanta Braves rallied for three in the fifth to go ahead and the Cardinals began to run out of chances.
But longtime bastion Yadier Molina singled with two out in the eighth to tie the score and hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th to shove across Kolten Wong with the running run as the Cardinals overcame the Braves 5-4.
Four hours and six minutes after the game started, the Cardinals had the verdict they needed to force Game 5 in Atlanta on Wednesday, when Jack Flaherty will start.
Flaherty was one of the few Cardinals pitchers not to work on Monday. They used eight, including first-game starter Miles Mikolas, who gained the win.
Wong began the 10th against Julio Teheran, who was an injury replacement in the series, by doubling to left. Goldschmidt was walked intentionally and then Teheran forced Goldschmidt at second with a good fielding play as Ozuna hustled to beat the relay to first.
Molina's fly to left easily plated Wong and the best-of-five series was even at 2-2.
