VIDEO: Cardinals secure walk-off win on aggressive takeout slide by Bourjos
The St. Louis Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night with a controversial come-from-behind 4-3 walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out for Jhonny Peralta, who chopped a routine grounder to third base. Yasmany Tomas fired to home plate for the force out, but Peter Bourjos used an aggressive takeout slide to cause Diamondbacks catcher Jordan Pacheco to fire the double play attempt into right field.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Bourjos was easily out at home and it was a blatant, but legal, attempt to break up the play.
My big problem with this: Bourjos is already out right now. He has no right at all to be involved in play any longer. pic.twitter.com/x2cfo7ch7R
— Matthew Pouliot (@matthewpouliot) May 28, 2015
Bourjos said he had no intentions of potentially hurting Pacheco on the slide attempt, and that he had no idea how the duo got tangled up on the play. He also revealed there was no dialogue with Pacheco after the play. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a former catcher, stood behind his backstop's decision to break up the play.
Matheny: ‘As a catcher, you know you have that fast guy bearing down on you. It’s different.’ #STLCards
— Stan McNeal (@stanmcneal) May 28, 2015
Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale didn't think the slide was dirty, calling it "legal."
A game-tying solo shot off the bat of Jason Heyward earlier in the inning put St. Louis in position for the walk-off victory.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Jason Heyward was 0-for-13 in the 9th inning this season before smacking that home run.
— Chris Tunno (@TunesSTL) May 28, 2015