Kevin Kernan

Kevin Kernan

MLB

Sloppy St. Louis gets Series’ biggest break

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinal Way was given whole new meaning Saturday night.

An Obstruction Walk-Off.

On the wackiest ending to a World Series game ever, the Cardinals, who gave away scoring opportunities all night long, got a two-out, ninth-inning obstruction call from third base umpire Jim Joyce after Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks got tangled up with baserunner Allen Craig … after catcher Jared Saltalamacchia threw wild to third … after getting Yadier Molina at home on a fielder’s choice.

Got all that?

It added up to a 5-4 win for the Cardinals over the Red Sox at Busch Stadium and a 2-1 lead in the World Series.

At the end of the night, the Cardinals knew they had won, they just didn’t realize how they had won.

Craig was on the ground in pain because he re-injured his sprained foot and might not be able to play Sunday.

“I have never seen a game end like that in my life,’’ Craig said. “It happened so fast, I don’t even know what happened, I slid into third and saw the ball get by him and I was trying to get home.

“I have to get home and he [Middlebrooks] was in the way. I don’t know if he was trying to trip me. It was the first time I had to run full speed [since the foot injury] and then there was an obstacle course out there.”

Craig ran the gauntlet and survived because of the call by Joyce, the umpire from Almost Perfect Game fame. It appeared to be the right call as soon as Middlebrooks lifted his legs and tripped Craig, who was on base after a pinch-hit double, to set up the crazy ending.

Craig’s double had sent Molina to third with one out. Jon Jay then hit into the fielder’s choice to Dustin Pedroia, who made a diving stop and threw home. Molina was out, but eventually Craig was safe, even though he never really made it home, and the Cardinals had a 2-1 lead in the Series.

“It was crazy, I didn’t know if I was safe or out,’’ Craig said. “I knew I was safe when I saw my entire team running at me.’’

The Red Sox have had trouble throwing to third base this World Series. That’s essentially how the Cardinals won Game 2.

After the catcher’s throw got past Middlebrooks, Daniel Nava retrieved the ball in foul territory down the left-field line. His throw beat Craig, but the obstruction was called. Game over.

“Some of us saw it, some of us didn’t,” Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong said. “We said, ‘What’s going on?’ and somebody said [Middlebrooks] lifted up his leg and tripped Craiger. It was chaos. We were running out and they were running back, it was a tug of war to try to figure out what was going on.’’

Carlos Beltran was mystified by it all as well.

“I didn’t know what happened,’’ Beltran said. “I saw the guys celebrating so I just went out there and celebrated, too. I was like ‘We win!’ But how [did] we win? I don’t know how we [won] but we did. So it’s just amazing, what can I say, we lead the Series 2-1 now, and I’m happy about that.

“I was like ‘Oh, my god, we have an opportunity to score and two people [Molina and Craig] got killed at home plate,’ ’’ Beltran said. “Incredible, but that nightmare didn’t happen. We’ll take it. I thought the umpires were very clear with what they saw.’’

Across the room, Matt Holliday, who drove in two runs with a double in the seventh, said he too had never seen a game end that way.

“You hate for it to end on a controversial play, but that’s part of the game,’’ Holliday said. “That’s the way it goes.

“That was a walk-off,’’ Holliday added, “really kind of a fall-off. I still don’t know what happened. Can I go?’’

Holliday, like the rest of the Cardinals, wanted to get home with the victory, before this strangest Obstruction-Off could be taken away.