Orioles & Cardinals Win WC Showdown, Braves & Rangers Go Home (MLB)

[MistaNova]

ATLANTA -- The chant rang out in unison, as the champagne sprayed and the beer poured and hugs were exchanged.
 
"Happy flight! Happy flight!"

It was last year's postseason rally cry returning for a club that -- pitted as underdogs against a team that had a stronger regular season and was starting a pitcher who doesn't lose -- foiled the Braves' script for a second straight year.
 
A critical infield fly ruling went the Cardinals' way in the eighth inning, capping a night in which St. Louis rode strong pitching and shoddy Atlanta defense to a controversy-laced 6-3 victory in front of 52,631 at Turner Field. A season after overtaking the Braves in a race for the one Wild Card, the defending World Series-champion Cardinals, beneficiaries of the new 10-team postseason format, leave as winners in the first National League Wild Card game.
 
It earns the Cardinals a chance to meet the Nationals in the best-of-five Division Series, which begins Sunday in St. Louis.
 
Source: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_10_05_slnmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id=stl


ARLINGTON -- Delayed, yes. Denied? Not this group.

The Orioles -- who were denied a proper celebration of the organization's first postseason berth because of plane troubles and an Angels' comeback -- finally got to break out the bubbly on Friday night after moving on to the American League Division Series with a 5-1 Wild Card win at Rangers Ballpark.
 
Led by a solid start from veteran Joe Saunders, Orioles manager Buck Showalter's crew continued to do what they have done all season: defy their critics. Saunders rebuked an abysmal record in Arlington and the Orioles manufactured a trio of runs off Yu Darvish to stun the Rangers in a win-or-go-home showdown. The victory, in front of 46,931 -- the largest crowd the Orioles have played in front of all season -- gives Baltimore its first playoff win since Oct. 13, 1997, against Cleveland and made the O's storybook season that much sweeter.
 
Source: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_10_05_balmlb_texmlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id=bal