LOS ANGELES — Two years ago, Matt Holliday was the face of Rocktober, his headfirst slide home capping an unlikely extra-inning comeback that sent the Colorado Rockies into the playoffs and on toward the World Series.In the late afternoon twilight Thursday, Holliday became the face of what may be remembered in St. Louis and beyond as a major collapse.
Holliday’s drop of a line drive with two outs in the ninth inning opened the door for the Dodgers to steal Game 2 of their National League division series, which they gladly did when Mark Loretta’s pinch-hit single capped a two-run rally and delivered a 3-2 victory and a 2-0 series lead heading to St. Louis.
Cardinals fans, long known as the most supportive in baseball, will need to muster every bit of their compassion to pick up a team that lost after a dominating performance by Adam Wainwright, who, besides allowing a solo homer to Andre Ethier, was nearly perfect.
The Dodgers will send Vicente Padilla, whom they signed to a minor league contract in August after he was released by Texas, against Joel Pineiro, who was 15-12 in the shadow of Wainwright and Chris Carpenter.READ MORE
