2012 National League Wild Card Game

Game results

Line score

|}} The Braves started Kris Medlen, who had a 9–0 win–loss record and 0.97 earned run average (ERA) in 12 games started during the 2012 season.

Lohse allowed a two-run home run to David Ross in the second inning. The Cardinals scored three runs in the fourth inning, in which Chipper Jones committed a throwing error, taking a 3–2 lead. Medlen allowed a home run to Matt Holliday in the sixth inning. After the Cardinals scored two more runs in the top of the seventh inning, the Braves scored one in the bottom of the seventh.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Andrelton Simmons hit a fly ball to left field that dropped in between Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma and left fielder Holliday. Left field umpire Sam Holbrook called Simmons out, citing the infield fly rule. Had an infield fly not been called, Simmons would have been credited with a single and Atlanta would have had the bases loaded with one out, trailing 6–3. Fans littered the field with trash, delaying the game for 19 minutes before a message over the Turner Field public address system advised fans the game was subject to forfeiture by the umpires if the field continued to remain unplayable due to the thrown debris. Atlanta manager Fredi González announced that the Braves would play the rest of the game under protest. The protest was denied shortly after the game by Joe Torre, MLB executive vice president for baseball operations, saying it was a judgment call—which cannot be protested under MLB rules. Prior to the game, MLB's official Twitter bio included the joke "We don't understand the infield fly rule either". This was quickly removed in light of the controversial call.

Following the controversial play, Cardinals closer Jason Motte entered the game and walked the next batter to load the bases, but then struck out Michael Bourn to end the inning without allowing the Braves to score. With two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Chipper Jones extended the game with an infield single in his final Major League at-bat. Freddie Freeman hit a ground rule double, bringing Dan Uggla to bat as the potential tying run. Motte retired Uggla with a groundout to record the save, then both teams rushed off the field after fans resumed throwing debris.

Notes

References

References

1. Bowman, Mark. (October 1, 2012). "Braves fall to Pirates, will be Wild Card team". MLB.com.
2. "2012 MLB postseason schedule". MLB.com.
3. Bloom, Barry M.. (March 2, 2012). "Addition of Wild Card berths finalized for 2012". MLB.com.
4. (October 4, 2012). "Cardinals-Braves Preview". [[Yahoo! Sports]].
5. (October 5, 2012). "Cardinals overcome ugly delay, Braves – Chicago Tribune". [[Chicago Tribune]].
6. (October 6, 2012). "STL-ATL Infield Fly (NL Wild Card): Why Call was Correct". Close Call Sports.
7. (October 5, 2012). "MLB Official Rules: 2.00 Definitions".
8. Snyder, Matt. (June 11, 2008). "Infield fly rule call mars Cardinals-Braves wild-card game". [[CBS Sports]].
9. (October 5, 2012). "Call of the Wild: Cards earn berth in NLDS: St. Louis takes advantage of three Atlanta errors, infield fly ruling". MLB.com.
10. (October 5, 2012). "Braves' protest denied by MLB".
11. (October 5, 2012). "MLB Twitter Account Takes Down 'We Don't Understand the Infield Fly Rule, Either' After Embarrassing Call". NESN.
12. Goold, Derrick. (October 5, 2012). "Cards survive wild Wild Card playoff". [[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]].