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A Series of Unfortunate Decisions Put Cardinals on Brink of Elimination

Also in this Five-Tool Newsletter, what went wrong for the Mets, first playoff AB dingers, the Mariners look to advance and more.

The Cardinals absolutely crumbled in the ninth inning yesterday. There’s no other way to explain how they went from up two with two outs to go for a win, to down four and having to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Closer Ryan Helsley, who was called upon to record a five-out save, suddenly lost his command, and their Gold Glove infielders missed plays they almost always make—the worst of which came when Nolan Arenado, the best defensive third baseman I’ve ever seen, whiffed on a routine bouncing ball that should’ve been an inning-ending double play.