SAN FRANCISCO — Do you believe in miracles? These MLB playoffs do.
Just ask the defending champion Cardinals, who again refused to die, coming back from a six-run deficit and sending the Nationals packing with a four-run ninth inning Friday night at Nationals Park. When the Cardinals are down to their last out, they are never down and out.
They have won their past six elimination games.
You can also ask the Giants if they believe in miracles. They lost the first two games to the Reds at home and couldn’t buy a hit, then won three straight at Great American Ball Park in the great American comeback.
The two teams will battle in the NLCS, beginning tonight at AT&T Park, a meeting of baseball’s miracle men with lefty Madison Bumgarner pitching for the Giants and Lance Lynn for the Cardinals.
Somehow, the Cardinals did all this without Tony La Russa. First-year manager Mike Matheny has some magic, too.
“It’s just the kind of people they are,” Matheny said of his Cardinals. “They believe in themselves. They believe in each other. There were still people smiling when we got off the plane at 6 in the morning.’’
Ex-Met Carlos Beltran had one word for the comeback: “Unbelievable.’’
“But that’s what we’ve been doing all year,’’ the Cardinals slugger said.
The Yankees had a magical moment when Raul Ibanez hit his pinch-hit home run and then homered again in the 12th to win Game 3 of the ALDS.
Aaron Boone, who is working the postseason for ESPN Radio, can relate, too. It was his dash-off home run that beat the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS at old Yankee Stadium.
Sometimes when the magic happens the player is so locked into the moment he can’t remember the moment. When Boone hit his home run, it became an arms-raised blur.
“It’s funny, I don’t remember it,’’ Boone told The Post. “I remember not remembering it and seeing how you are kind of trying to pull it together when everyone is talking to you and it is just an overwhelming emotional moment.’’
Rookie shortstop Pete Kozma got the big go-ahead, two-out single Friday night for the Cardinals and will be remembered in team lore. One big postseason hit can be an exclamation point to a career.
“It’s amazing,’’ Boone said. “I’m blown away by it, by how many people, on both sides of the ledger, have a memory of it, how big a deal it was to them one way or the other.
“I’m so happy for Raul, he’s gotten big hits all year for the Yankees,’’ Boone added. “He’s such a nice guy. He’s revered in that clubhouse. To watch the whole thing transpire was awesome.’’
Awesome wins bring teams together. Both the Cardinals and Giants, the last two World Series winners, believe the 2012 World Series is the next stop. Who will be the next miracle man to step up?
“It’s been such a great playoff, every series,’’ Boone added. “The script keeps changing.’’
Yes, baseball miracles keep happening.