After Sunday’s ninth-inning debacle, St. Louis Cardinals manager, Mike Shildt, apparently didn’t blink an eye by handing over the ball again to Carlos Martinez. With Monday’s NLDS game vs the Atlanta Braves tied 4-4 in the ninth, Shildt called again to his often erratic closer.
Shildt’s confidence in Martinez then paid off when, after giving up a lead off ground rule double to Ronald Acuna, the right hander retired the next three Braves hitters. Two pop ups and a ground out to the top of their order which included Ozzie Albies, Freddie Freeman, and Josh Donaldson.