After a stomach-churning 5-4 victory Sunday, the Cardinals head to San Francisco, tied 1-1 with the Giants in the National League Championship Series.
Kolten Wong clinched Game Two for the Cards with a walk-off solo home run in the ninth.
It had been a back-and-forth contest with plenty of fireworks for Cards fans. Matt Carpenter, Oscar Taveras and Matt Adams each hit solo home runs before Wong’s lead-off homer in the ninth.
On the down side: Catcher Yadier Molina was injured while batting in the sixth inning and left the game with a strained left oblique muscle. He was replaced by Tony Cruz. And a wild pitch by closer Trevor Rosenthal allowed Giants pinch-runner Matt Duffy to score from second base, tying the game 4-4 in the ninth inning.
After being shut out in Game One by Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, the Cardinals struck first in Game Two to take a 2-0 lead. Carpenter hit a solo home run in the third inning, and Randal Grichuk singled to drive in a run in the bottom of the fourth. The Giants tied the game in the sixth and took a 3-2 lead in the seventh. But a solo home run by pinch-hitter Taveras tied the game in the seventh and another solo shot by Adams put the Cards ahead 4-3 in the eighth.
Game Three starts at 3:07 p.m. Tuesday at AT&T Park. John Lackey is scheduled to pitch for the Cards; the Giants haven’t named their starter.
2014 National League Championship Series
Game One: Saturday, Oct. 11, Busch Stadium. Final score: Cards 0, Giants 3
Game Two: Sunday, Oct. 12, Busch Stadium, Final score: Cards 5, Giants 4
Game Three: Tuesday, Oct. 14, AT&T Park San Francisco, 3:07 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Game Four: Wednesday, Oct. 15, AT&T Park, 7:07 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Game Five: Thursday, Oct. 16, AT&T Park, 7:07 p.m. CT (Fox Sports 1)
Game Six (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 18, Busch Stadium, 3:07 p.m. (FOX)
Game Seven (if necessary): Sunday, Oct. 19, Busch Stadium, 6:37 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Broadcast info: Fox Sports 1 is on Charter: channels 43 and 211 (SD), 811 (HD); ATT&T U-Verse: 652 (SD), 1652 (HD); Dish: 150; Direct TV: 219. Play-by-play by Mike Shannon and John Rooney on KMOX (1120 AM).
