As he tracked his line drive that had a chance to lift the Cardinals, Lars Nootbaar neared first base and found himself in a rare spot for a hitter – hoping that he didn’t hit the ball so hard that it traveled too far if it bounced.
He had a double, no doubt, but if his hit pinballed off the wall, teammate Paul DeJong had enough of a jump to score from first base and tie Friday night’s game. If the hit bounced over the wall, DeJong would have to hold at third base and the Cardinals would still be down by a run, 5-4.