ATLANTA -- After a misplayed sixth inning Thursday night, the Cardinals found their backs against the wall, down two with the momentum on the Braves’ side.\n\nThey’ve been there before. They didn’t blink.
The Cardinals scored six runs in the final two innings to win Game 1 of the National League Division Series, 7-6, against the Braves at SunTrust Park. With a win behind starter
\n\n\"Any time you can win on the road in the playoffs, it’s important,\"
In the history of best-of-five postseason series, Game 1 winners have gone on to take the series 95 of 132 times (72%). And in Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams winning Game 1 on the road took the series 28 of 40 times (70%).\n\nThe Cardinals’ defense has helped them win games all season, but it was their offense that clicked Thursday and won the game.\n\n• [Hustling Harrison fuels Cards' first NLDS run](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/harrison-bader-hustle-leads-to-cardinals-first-run)\n\nAfter the Braves capitalized on the Cards’ uncharacteristic defensive miscues to take the two-run lead in the sixth,
\n\n \n\nOne of the Cardinals’ strengths this year has been improving as the game goes, and that was no different in the postseason -- Goldschmidt’s big swing sparked a comeback. Against Braves closer Mark Melancon,
Carpenter put the momentum on the Cards’ side, which has been his role over the last month -- to provide a strong at-bat off the bench in big situations. Thursday showed why that role is so valuable.\n\n“Be ready for that one chance to take the lead or tie the game, whatever,” Carpenter said. “That moment came, and I was able to come through for it. When you come off the bench, you just expect that I’m going in the game knowing that one big at-bat in the game is probably going to go my way.”
The Cardinals didn’t squander Carpenter’s game-tying hit. With the bases loaded in the ninth,
\n\nNo sweat at all, right?\n\n“We got what you need,” said Cardinals starter