Padres stun Cardinals, complete comeback to win 11-9 in Game 2

Through the first two innings of Thursday’s wild card game, it looked like it was about to be a repeat of Game 1 when the Cardinals took another early 4-0 lead through the first two innings. But the Padres dug deep and the bats came alive as both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wil Myers each hit a pair of home runs to elevate them over the Cardinals 11-9 in Game 2 of the NLWCS.

The feat achieved by Tatis and Myers was, in short, historic. They became the second pair of teammates since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1932 to each record multiple home runs in a post season game.

With the help of veteran C Yadier Molina, the Cardinals opened with four-straight runs scored to put the pressure on the Padres early. San Diego finally were able to dig in to the lead with a pair of RBIs in the fourth from Myers and Jake Cronenworth to bring the score to 4-2.

When the game entered the sixth, all hell broke loose.

Cardinals RF Dexter Fowler smacked a RBI double to deep right to score SS Paul DeJong and then 2B Kolton Wong grounded out to the pitcher which scored DH Matt Carpenter to increased the lead back to four runs.

On the other half of the inning, The Phenom got to work. Tatis cranked his first postseason home run, a three-run shot, to bring the Friars within one. His partner-in-crime Manny Machado then sent his first home run of the 2020 postseason over the left field wall and the comeback was finally complete with the score knotted at 6-6.

It was then Myers’ turn to go yard in the seventh as he launched his 355 feet to left field right before Tatis hit his second home run, a 366-footer, over the right field fence to give the Padres their biggest lead of the night at 9-6.

The Cardinals did their best to mount a comeback of their own when they put up a pair of runs in the eighth inning from Wong and CF Harrison Bader. On the other side with a 9-8 Padres lead, Myers sent out his second home run of the night, this one a two-run shot to push their lead back to three runs.

1B Paul Goldschmidt would record a solo home run in the top of the ninth but that was all she wrote for the Cards as closer Trevor Rosenthal retired the final three batters to secure the victory.

Game 3 of the NLCWS will be back at Petco Park tomorrow at 4:00pm.