MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-14
2. Matt Wieters, St. Louis Cardinals, 49 percent
San Diego scored twice in the first and led 3-0 before the visiting Cardinals rallied to send the game into extra innings.
Part of that insanely tight five-way race in the NL Central, the Cardinals had already lost the first two games of their San Diego weekend, and plainly couldn’t tolerate a sweep. Yet they almost got swept; in the bottom of the eighth, John Gant and Carlos Martinez walked the bases full before Martinez induced an inning-ending double play ball from Manuel Margot.
The game proceeded through uneventful ninth and 10th innings. The 11th opened equally uneventfully, Padres reliever Brad Wieck retiring Tyler O’Neill and Yadier Molina. Then Kolten Wong gave Cardinal fans reason for hope by beating out an infield hit down the first base line.
That brought up Matt Wieters, who had been held hitless in four previous at bats including a strikeout. This time he atoned, powering a 1-2 pitch into the Western Metal Supply building seats down the left field line for a two-run home run.
In the bottom of the 11th, Cardinal relievers Tyler Webb and Dominic Leone held the Padres scoreless, Leone retiring Wil Myers with a runner on base for the game’s final out.