The Arizona Diamondbacks have been officially eliminated from the National League Playoff race…but the team powered through 19 innings of baseball last night and used 13 pitchers in a seven hour game where the D-backs scored an unlikely win against the St. Louis Cardinals with a final score of 3 to 2.
Ildemaro Vargas had a game-tying, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning on Tuesday and then singled with the bases loaded in the 19th, sending Arizona's players streaming from the dugout in celebration. "We just didn't shut down," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "We had plenty of opportunities to feel sorry for ourselves and we didn't. We scratched together some runs at the right time."
Carson Kelly and Nick Ahmed started the final rally with back-to-back singles off John Brebbia (3-4), who was the Cardinals' 11th pitcher of the night. Jarrod Dyson and Robbie Ray — a pitcher who had to pinch hit — struck out before Christian Walker was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Then it was Vargas' turn to be the hero again, smacking a single — his fourth hit of the game — through the left side of the infield. He raised his hands as players rushed the field.
The game wrapped up at 1:34 this morning. It was the longest game in Chase Field history. These two teams are set to play again in Phoenix later today.
It's a particularly tough turnaround for the Cardinals, who are locked in a playoff race with the Milwaukee Brewers. St. Louis had its lead in the NL Central cut to 2 1/2 games over Milwaukee. The Cardinals have four games remaining and the Brewers have five.