The Phillies pulled off a stunning comeback against the Cardinals in Game 2 of the Wild Card series. Down 2-0 in the ninth with two outs left, J.T. Realmuto started the rally with a single. Shadows across the field made at-bats tougher all game, but by the ninth inning, hitters could finally see the ball better, and it showed. Ryan Helsley lost command on the mound, walking multiple batters and hitting one to bring in a run. The Cardinals’ pitching coach and manager tried to buy time with a mound visit and trainer delay, but it didn’t help.
After a new reliever entered, the Phillies kept the pressure on. A routine grounder deflected off a glove and allowed two more runs to score. Goldschmidt had a chance at a double play but went home with the throw instead, and the runner was safe. That decision backfired. Another defensive miscue at third pushed the score to 5-2. Schwarber added a sac fly to make it 6-2. The inning unraveled for St. Louis behind shaky pitching, defensive errors, and aggressive play from Philadelphia. The Cardinals entered the ninth with a lead and walked off the field stunned and eliminated. The Phillies kept their season alive with one of the most chaotic comebacks in recent postseason memory.