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Record: 93-69, 1st, 4 GA Des Moines NL South champs; Tied Madison for best record in NL; Tied Toledo for best record in MBL
Pinch-hitter Larry Ernesto singled off Kansas City closer Wade Davis with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to score JT Schwartz and give St. Louis a 6-5 win in the regular-season finale at Busch Stadium (1997).
Schwartz had tripled with one out but Davis got the next batter, Edmond Americaan, to hit a grounder back to him for the second out.
However, Ernesto grounded a single between shortstop and third to send Schwartz across the plate.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for St. Louis, and at 93-69 tied the National League South Division champion with Madison for the best record in the National League.
The best record in the American League belonged to American League East champ Toledo, also at 93-69.
It is uncertain who will have home-field advantage in the NLCS.
The River Walkers carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth, only to have the Pit Masters tie it when pinch-hitter Ryan McMahon hit a two-run homer off closer Edwin Diaz.
Manny Machado, who had drawn a walk in front of McMahon, also scored.
It marked the third blown save of the season for Diaz.
St. Louis had gone up 3-2 in the fifth inning when Schwartz had led off with a single.
He was eliminated at second when Edmond Americaan failed to get down a bunt.
A successful bunt from Jimmy Lambert did get Americaan to second.
Americaan moved to third when Bo Bichette reached on an error.
He scored on a Carlos Vidal single.
The Walkers lead reached 5-3 in the sixth.
Andrew Benintendi drew a lead-off walk from Kyle Nelson and moved to third on a Clay Owens two-out double.
Schwartz scored Benintendi with a single.
Americaan chased home Owens with a fielder's choice.
Owens, a rookie, had hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second to make it 2-2.
Lambert worked the first six innings for St. Louis, allowing three runs on six hits.

Angel Tiburcio got the first out of the seventh.
Jake Brentz came on to finish out the seventh and struck out the side in the eighth.
After Diaz had his bad ninth, Williams Jerez got the first two outs of the 10th.
John Curtiss (4-3) recorded the final four Pit Masters out and earned the win.