The Cardinals did everything within their power Sunday to push the season one day closer to their expected destination, but all they could do was watch as things they didn’t do all season caught up to them.
The Cardinals rallied and rallied again for a 10-4 victory against visiting Pittsburgh, yet moments after they pulled away from the Pirates on the scoreboard they learned they weren’t going anywhere. San Francisco’s victory against the Dodgers, which went final in the eighth inning of the win at Busch Stadium, eliminated the Cardinals (86-76) from the postseason. St. Louis will not host a major-league playoff game, concluding a run of five consecutive postseasons that was the most in club history and the longest active streak in baseball.