There are not many worse ways to lose a close playoff game than what happened to the Cardinals on Tuesday.
St. Louis lost Game 3 of the NLDS 5-4 after relief pitcher Randy Choate made a throwing error while making the play on a sacrifice bunt. The Cards reliever walked Brandon Crawford to start the bottom of the 10th in San Francisco, then allowed a hit to Juan Perez, who was unable to get down a sacrifice bunt. With two on and nobody out, the Giants tried another sac bunt and this time executed.
Gregor Blanco laid a sacrifice bunt down between third and the pitcher, and Choate fielded it, went to first and threw the ball into right field. The error allowed Crawford to score the winning run to make it 5-4.
The Giants still would have been in good position to win the game with runners on second and third, one out and Joe Panik and Buster Posey coming up, but it still has to hurt losing a game on a play where the opposing team is giving you an out. At least make them earn it!
