The night of July 8 feels like ages ago after the Cubs blasted the St. Louis Cardinals out of the National League Division Series in four games.
The Cubs had the Cardinals on the ropes that unseasonably chilly day at Wrigley Field, leading 5-4 heading into the top of the ninth. A win would’ve secured a series victory and firmly stamped the Cubs as contenders in the NL Central. Instead, Jhonny Peralta ripped Pedro Strop’s two-out, two-strike pitch into the left field basket for a ninth-inning, go-ahead, two-run home run that served as a reminder of why the Cardinals haven’t missed the playoffs since 2010.