Cardinals Take NLCS Lead After Botched Phantom-Tag Call At Home Plate In Extra Innings

Baseball's getting instant replay next year — but that's not soon enough for the Dodgers.

In 2014 Major League Baseball will launch instant replay review and managers will be able to challenge umpires' calls. Tonight's Cardinals-Dodgers National League Championship Series game hinged on exactly the kind of call the system is designed for.

With one out in the top of the 10th inning in St. Louis, Carlos Beltran's throw beat a tagging Mark Ellis home by several feet. But did catcher Yadier Molina ever actually tag Ellis?

TBS

It really doesn't look like it.

TBS

Not from this angle either.

TBS

Enhance!

TBS

Nope. The Cardinals were held scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, so if Ellis had been ruled safe, the game would have been over. But home plate ump Gerry Davis' out call stood, and the Cards went on to win in the bottom of the 13th.

TBS

That's hero-of-the-playoffs-so-far Carlos Beltran driving in Daniel Descalso. FYI: The game started at 8:37 p.m. EST and finished somewhere around 1:30 a.m. for a brisk 290 minute running time.

These gals know they got away with one.

The upside for the Dodgers: they have an immediate chance for revenge. Game 2 starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, or, in other words, in about ten minutes.