CHICAGO • The situation for the Cardinals, on the precipice of elimination, is as simple as it is dire. They cannot reach the postseason without first forcing an extra game in the regular season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers victory late Friday night in San Francisco assured them of no worse than a tiebreaker Monday at Busch Stadium for the National League's second wild-card berth. To force that the game, the Cardinals must win both of the game at Wrigley Field this weekend and have LA lose its two remaining games by the bay against the Giants.