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“Go Crazy, Folks! Go Crazy!”: Murrone Delivers as Cardinals Walk Off Reds in Game 1
By Jack Buck (in spirit)
ST. LOUIS — Well folks, if you didn’t believe it before, believe it now — these Cardinals know how to win when it counts. In the bottom of the ninth, with their backs against the wall, the defending World Series champions delivered a moment that’ll echo through Busch Stadium for years to come. And just like that, Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series belongs to St. Louis.
The final score: Cardinals 2, Reds 1. And it came in the most dramatic of fashions.
Trailing 1-0 with just three outs to go, the Cards rallied behind the steely resolve of a team that’s been here before. Young Carlos Murrone came to the plate with one out, two on, and all of Busch holding its breath. A fastball came in — belt high — and Murrone sent it scorching into right field.
One run scores. Two runs score. The Cardinals win. The crowd erupts.
“Oh baby! What a finish!” I’d have said it myself, folks, but the crowd beat me to it.
A Pitcher’s Duel in the Heartland
Before the fireworks, we had ourselves a tightrope classic. Steven Janczak, the Cardinals’ big right-hander, was absolutely terrific — seven strong innings, six hits, one earned run. He looked calm, composed, like a man who's been toeing that rubber since he was born.
The Reds drew first blood in the eighth thanks to a pair of doubles — Frankie Martinez and Anthony Liotta combined for the go-ahead run. That could’ve been the game... but this St. Louis team? They’re never out of it.
On the other side, credit where it’s due: Cincinnati’s starter, José Landaverde, gave the Redlegs every chance. Seven shutout innings, just four hits, no room for error. But baseball’s a funny game. It doesn’t always reward the starters.
Enter: The Moment
The bottom of the ninth. Busch buzzing. The Reds turned to Tony Plascencia out of the bullpen. A couple of hits, a little pressure... and then Murrone delivered. Two runs in. Ballgame over. Series lead secured.
“They wrote us off,” Murrone said after the game, sweat still glistening under the clubhouse lights. “But we weren’t done yet.”
Oh, what a sound it made. The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd. The heartbeat of October.
On Deck
Tomorrow, the series resumes here in St. Louis. The Cardinals have a chance to close it out and punch their ticket to the Division Series. With the momentum they just earned — and the memories of 1915 still fresh — you can bet they’ll be ready.
From high above the field at Busch, this is Jack Buck — if only in spirit — saying: I don’t believe what I just saw.
But boy, oh boy... I’m glad I did.
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