Beltran becomes hero in 13th as Cardinals edge Dodgers, 3-2

Carlos Beltran capped his latest postseason performance with an RBI single in the 13th inning that lifted the St. Louis Cardinals past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2, in the National League Championship Series opener. Well past midnight at Busch Stadium, Beltran singled into the right-field corner with one out against Kenley Jansen in the 13th to finish a game that took 4 hours & 47 minutes.

For the Dodgers, it was the longest postseason game since the 1916 World Series, when Babe Ruth pitched all 14 innings to lead Boston past Brooklyn. The game also tied for the longest series opener in postseason history, according to STATS, when Boston & Cleveland played 13 innings in their 1995 AL Division Series, with the Indians winning, 5-4.

With a few hours to rest up, both teams will play Game 2 this Saturday afternoon in St. Louis at 4 pm, followed by the ALCS opener with Detroit and Boston at 8 pm.