PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT

Chris Taylor hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in a scintillating NL wild-card game.

All these years later, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are set to meet again at Fenway Park in an all-or-nothing game Tuesday night.

With Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and the rest of baseball's MVP front-runners left out of the postseason, there's a chance for some budding stars to cement their place among the game's top names.

A game enshrined in memory that forged a lifetime of friendship. Michelle Miller looks back on MLB’’s famous "shot heard round the world," and sees how it's bonded some baseball fans for seven decades.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning, and the playoff-bound St. Louis Cardinals won for the 19th time in their last 20 games, 4-3 over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Tyler O'Neill homered twice and threw out the potential go-ahead run in the ninth inning for the Cardinals, who will play either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the San Francisco Giants in the NL wild-card game. Dakota Hudson made his first start for the Cardinals in more than a year, allowing three hits in five scoreless innings.

Cardinals Cubs Baseball St. Louis Cardinals' Harrison Bader, left, celebrates after hitting a solo home run as Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras looks up during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) (Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO — (AP) — Make it a very sweet 16 for the St. Louis Cardinals. Next up is a three-game series against NL Central champion Milwaukee beginning on Tuesday night in St. Louis. St. Louis jumped in front on another Goldschmidt drive, a massive solo shot to center off Keegan Thompson with one out in the third. Cubs: RHP Alec Mills (6-7, 4.83 ERA) starts Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh.

Make it a very sweet 16 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Andrew Knizner slid across home plate, hopped up and pumped his right arm in jubilation. Make it a very sweet 16 for the St. Louis Cardinals. Knizner scored the go-ahead run on Codi Heuer's wild pitch in the ninth inning, and the Cardinals beat the lowly Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Sunday for their 16th straight victory.

The St. Louis Cardinals set a franchise record with their 15th straight win, boosted when catcher Yadier Molina and center fielder Harrison Bader helped pull off a wild double play in an 8-5 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Cardinals Cubs Baseball St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt watches his one-run single during the sixth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The win streak has rocketed the Cards into control of the second NL wild card, leading Philadelphia by five games. Paul DeJong also went deep and Nootbaar added a single for three hits in his first multihomer game as St. Louis pulled away. It’s the second time St. Louis has had three hitters with 30 or more. TRAINER’S ROOMCardinals: SS Edmundo Sosa was in the right hand by a pitch in the sixth first game and left the game.

Cardinals Cubs Baseball St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt watches his one-run single during the sixth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) (Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO — (AP) — The surging St. Louis Cardinals soared to their 13th straight win Friday, using homers by Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill to top the Chicago Cubs 8-5 in the opener of a doubleheader. It's the longest win streak for St. Louis since it set a team record with 14 in a row in July 1938. St. Louis also got a pinch-hit homer from José Rondón, and Tommy Edman finished with three hits. Alex Reyes (10-8) got five outs for the win, and Giovanny Gallegos tossed a perfect seventh for his 13th save.

The surging St. Louis Cardinals soared to their 13th straight win, using homers by Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill to top the Chicago Cubs 8-5 in the opener of a doubleheader.

The surging St. Louis Cardinals emphatically matched a team record with their 14th straight wint, pounding the Chicago Cubs 12-4 in the second game of doubleheader behind Tyler O’Neill’s three-run homer and a pair of solo shots by Lars Nootbaar.

Paul Goldschmidt homered twice, and the St. Louis Cardinals overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5 Thursday and extend their longest winning streak in 39 years to 12 games. On a day Adam Wainwright faltered early, St. Louis trailed 5-0 before rallying with one run in the fifth, four in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth. “They picked me up big time today,” Wainwright said of his teammates.

Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill homered as the St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th straight game, extending their lead for the second NL wild-card spot and beating the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 10-2.

Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill homered as the St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th straight game, extending their lead for the second NL wild-card spot and beating the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 Wednesday night. Goldschmidt also doubled, singled and scored four runs to help St. Louis stretch its best winning streak since an 11-game string in 2001. The Cardinals' longest winning streak in franchise history is 14, in 1935 with a team led by Hall of Famer pitcher Dizzy Dean.

Cardinals Mets Baseball St. Louis Cardinals' Harrison Bader (48) celebrates with Paul Goldschmidt (46) after Goldschmidt hit a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, in New York. They dropped five games behind St. Louis, with three teams in between. St. Louis still hopes the front-line starter (9-2, 3.08 ERA) can offer something in relief at some point this year. St. Louis also will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its 2011 World Series championship this weekend. Mets: RHP Taijuan Walker (7-9, 4.29 ERA) pitches Friday night at Citi Field against ex-Met Zack Wheeler (13-9, 2.86) and the Phillies.

Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado each hit one of St. Louis’ four homers, and the Cardinals flashed some fantastic outfield defense in beating the New York Mets 11-4 for their fifth straight victory.

Edmundo Sosa hit the go-ahead single in a three-run 11th inning and the hard-charging St. Louis Cardinals climbed all the way back into playoff position with a 7-6 victory over the New York Mets.

Adam Wainwright won his fifth straight start in a rare matchup of 40-year-old pitchers, and the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the New York Mets 7-0.

Albert Pujols rewarded an adoring crowd by hitting a home run in his return to Busch Stadium, sending the Los Angeles Dodgers toward a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardinals Brewers Baseball Milwaukee Brewers' Daniel Vogelbach is congratulated by teammates after hitting a walk-off grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, in Milwaukee. Reyes (5-8) entered the game after the Brewers had loaded the bases off Giovanny Gallegos. Vogelbach, who just got activated Wednesday after spending over two months on the injured list, was mobbed at home plate and got doused with the contents of a Gatorade bucket. TRAINER’S ROOMBrewers SS Willy Adames went on the 10-day injured list with a left quadriceps strain. “Put him on the injured list and give him some time to heal.”The Brewers recalled utilityman Tim Lopes from Triple-A Nashville.

Daniel Vogelbach delivered a pinch-hit grand slam off Alex Reyes to cap a five-run rally in the ninth inning that gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Mets fans get their say after it was revealed stars Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez were among the New York players making derogatory hand gestures at Citi Field crowds.

Miami Marlins infielder Eddy Alvarez and four-time Olympic women’s basketball gold medalist Sue Bird will be the U.S. flag bearers for the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Games.

Kyle Hendricks won his ninth straight decision, Patrick Wisdom hit a two-run homer and Chicago Cubs pounded the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5.

San Francisco right-hander Kevin Gausman had his no-hit bid ended by St. Louis slugger Nolan Arenado’s one-out single to left.

Max Kranick pitched five perfect innings in his major league debut before a 64-minute rain delay forced him from the game, and the Pittsburgh Pirates went on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2.

Slumping DJ LeMahieu and the skidding Yankees hope to get back on target when they start a set at Target Field against the Twins on Tuesday night.

Cody Bellinger had a grand slam and six RBIs as the Dodgers scored their most runs in one inning of a regular-season game since moving to Los Angeles, piling up 11 in the bottom of the first during a 14-3 blowout over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers scored their most runs in an inning in a regular-season game since moving to Los Angeles, scoring 11 times in the bottom of the first against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.

Chris Taylor drove in three runs with a tiebreaking double that capped a 14-pitch at-bat in the sixth inning, rallying the Los Angeles Dodgers past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 to snap a three-game skid.

White Sox manager Tony La Russa wound up a winner in his first game against the team that ensured his Hall of Fame induction as Chicago beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 behind Lance Lynn’s arm and Andrew Vaughn’s bat.

Nolan Arenado hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning of his home debut with the Cardinals, lifting St. Louis over the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 as fans returned to Busch Stadium for the first time since 2019.

The two-time AL Central champion Twins are hoping Happ can give them a veteran presence at the back of their rotation. Ian Anderson pitched two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk. Houston piggy-backed a pair of starters with Framber Valdez yielding McNeil's homer in the first two innings, striking out two. AdBLUE JAYS 4, PHILLIES 2 (6)Steven Matz allowed a hit in two scoreless innings, striking out three without a walk. CUBS 3, ROYALS 2 (7)Outfielder Rafael Ortega, who signed a minor league deal with Chicago after playing 34 games for Atlanta last season, hit a bases-loaded triple.

A person familiar with the swap tells The Associated Press that the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to acquire All-Star third baseman Arenado from the Rockies in a trade needing approvals before it can be finalized. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals finalized their blockbuster trade to acquire All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies on Monday night. St. Louis dealt left-hander Austin Gomber and four minor leaguers to the Rockies: infielder Elehuris Montero, right-hander Tony Locey, infielder Mateo Gil and right-handed pitcher Jake Sommers. As part of the trade, Colorado will send cash to St. Louis to offset part of the money Arenado is due in his contract. AdMost recently, the Cardinals acquired Goldschmidt, a six-time All-Star, from Arizona prior to the 2019 season, and he signed a $130 million deal to stay with St. Louis through 2024.

A person familiar with the swap tells The Associated Press that the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to acquire All-Star third baseman Arenado from the Rockies in a trade needing approvals before it can be finalized. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to acquire All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in a trade needing approvals before it can be finalized, a person familiar with the swap tells The Associated Press. Arenado slumped during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting .253 with eight home runs and a .738 OPS over 48 games. Wainwright is returning for his 17th season with St. Louis, matching Bob Gibson (1959-75) for the second-most seasons with the Cardinals among pitchers, one behind Jesse Haines (1920-37). The 38-year-old could still return for an 18th season with the Cardinals after hitting .262 with four home runs in 2020.

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., center, celebrates with teammates after the Padres defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in Game 3 of a National League wild-card baseball series Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in San Diego. San Diego became the first team in baseball history to use eight or more pitchers in three straight postseason games. The Padres rewarded their long-suffering fans by winning one of the most meaningful games of any kind in San Diego in a long time. The city’s only major professional championship remains the San Diego Chargers’ 1963 AFL title. The Padres lost 4-1 to the Detroit Tigers in the 1984 World Series and were swept by the New York Yankees in the 1998 Fall Classic.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Fernando Tatis Jr. had been waiting for a breakout game, and boy did “El Niño” get it. Wil Myers also homered twice and Manny Machado connected, but Tatis — with his signature exuberance and flair — was the one who carried the party at empty Petco Park. It was the 23rd comeback win of 2020 for the close-knit Padres, who have pushed each other all year. “I feel like we needed that big swing for the entire team to get us going," Tatis said of his first homer. It was the Padres’ first postseason win at Petco Park, which opened in 2004.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Given a chance to catch their breath after a crazy month and a half, the St. Louis Cardinals settled into the playoffs with yet another win against the San Diego Padres. San Diego native Tommy Edman singled and Goldschmidt homered to left. Dylan Carlson doubled, 38-year-old Yadier Molina hit an RBI single and Paul DeJong doubled before Matt Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly. Kim allowed Eric Hosmer’s sac fly in the first, Aaron Nola’s sac fly in the second and Tommy Pham’s RBI single in the third. Dexter Fowler hit an RBI single in the ninth off Trevor Rosenthal, who started his big league career with the Cardinals.

Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in a baseball game to earn a playoff birth Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in St. Louis. That’s when the Brewers, at 29-31, open their series against Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler at Dodger Stadium. In a win-and-you’re-in game, St. Louis clinched by beating Milwaukee 5-2. That’s how you see it,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. St. Louis played a total of 58 games — it was prepared for a doubleheader in Detroit on Monday if needed to settle the playoff picture.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright delivers during the first inning of a baseball game Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)ST. LOUIS Adam Wainwright turned back the clock with a complete game on his 39th birthday as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 Sunday. St. Louis had mustered just three runs in the past 28 innings before the outburst. He was very sharp.PITCHING CYCLEWith the start against the Indians, Wainwright has made at least one versus every team except the Cardinals. Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson (0-2, 3.32 ERA) begins a three-game series in Cincinnati when he faces RHP Anthony DeSclafani (1-1, 5.71) on Monday night.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)A look at what's happening in the majors on Saturday:RED-HOT COLEGerrit Cole tries for his 20th straight regular-season win when he pitches for the Yankees at Tampa Bay. Cole is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract with New York. Cole lost the World Series opener last year when Washington beat the Astros. Paul Goldschmidt and the Cards have been off since a week ago Friday, when two players returned positive coronavirus tests.

The Milwaukee Brewers star is 1 for 27 to start the season, an .037 average that's worst among qualified hitters. Coming off a condensed preseason camp for a 60-game season truncated by the coronavirus pandemic, hitters are stumbling out of the batter's box. The league-wide batting average after Wednesday's games is .229, down from .252 last season even though the National League adopted the designated hitter for this season. And although hitters often start slowly in March and April, this collective slump is far worse than anything seen in recent years. Many indicators of the offensive struggles, including a rise in strikeouts and drop in batting average, are continuations of trends already underway.