Matt Holliday shines as Cardinals move within one win of World Series
St Louis slugger hits monster home run to help his side to a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series
Matt Holliday and the St Louis Cardinals rediscovered their power at the plate in a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers that put them one win away from the World Series on Tuesday.
Holliday busted out of an 0-for-13 slump with a mighty two-run home run that swung the Cardinals to a 3-1 series lead in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.
“[The at-bat] didn’t really last long. One pitch, middle in, I got the barrel to it,” Holliday said of his homer that travelled more than 420 feet. “I had an idea that [Los Angeles starter Ricky Nolasco] wanted to come in so I wanted to get the head out front and was able to do it.”
Holliday’s decisive blow to leftfield established a 3-0 lead in the third inning and was the first homer of the series for St Louis.
The Cardinals, who had scored just four total runs combined in the opening three games of the series, added another blast from little-used reserve Shane Robinson in the seventh.
Robinson’s solo shot bounced off the top of the leftfield wall and caromed over as St Louis built on their slim 3-2 edge.
Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn survived a somewhat shaky outing that saw him allow two runs and walk three batters in 51/3 innings.