Leading Off

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT BECK SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Wong Turn Cardinals rookie second baseman Kolten Wong fired to first for a third-inning double play against outfielder Gregor Blanco and the Giants in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium. St. Louis won 5--4 on Sunday, squaring the series on a ninth-inning walk-off home run by Wong. It was the fourth postseason walk-off homer in Cards history (Ozzie Smith, 1985 NLCS; Jim Edmonds, 2004 NLCS; and David Freese, 2011 World Series).

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT BECK SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Bat Attitude Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams preceded Kolten Wong's walk-off with a no-doubt round-tripper of his own to rightfield in the eighth inning of Game 2. The home run came after a pinch-hit blast by Oscar Taveras in the seventh, making St. Louis—which went deep the fewest times in the NL this season—the first team to homer in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings of a postseason game.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY AL TIELEMANS SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Royal Flash Centerfielder Lorenzo Cain scored in the third inning after reaching on one of his four hits in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series last Saturday at Camden Yards. His last knock, a single in the ninth inning, drove in an insurance run in a 6--4 victory over the Orioles, putting Kansas City up 2--0 in the series. Cain had six hits in his first eight at bats against Baltimore and scored four times. And we haven't even mentioned his defense (page 49).