The St. Louis Cardinals found themselves on the wrong side of Jason Isringhausen's unlikely comeback Wednesday night, as Endy Chavez's 10th-inning walk-off home run off current closer Fernando Salas gave erstwhile fireman Izzy a two-inning win one night after his first save since 2008. Carlos Beltran, currently a top target ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline, homered off of Kyle McClellan, while the Cardinals' bullpen coughed up another late lead when Jason Motte and Lance Lynn were unable to make Gerald Laird's RBI bunt single stand.
The Cardinals' 5-4 lead came after the Mets intentionally walked a slumping Colby Rasmus with Matt Holliday on third base and two outs. The next man up—and not pinch-hit for despite the Cardinals' three-catcher roster configuration—Laird lay down a bunt that Daniel Murphy couldn't even begin to field, scoring Holliday and putting another runner in scoring position. Daniel Descalso struck out to end the threat, and in the bottom of the eighth the Mets quickly mounted a threat of their own; Angel Pagan reached on a tough grounder that was called an error on Daniel Descalso, and got to third on two ground outs before Josh Thole sliced a liner into left field to tie the game up at 5. Pagan's home run in the 10th sent the Cardinals home with a series loss.
Jake Westbrook and Jon Niese will take mound for the final game of the series Thursday afternoon.