(Updated May 9, 2020)
A passed ball was the key to enabling the Cardinals to achieve one of their most amazing comebacks.
Trailing by nine runs, the Cardinals rallied to beat the defending National League champion Braves on May 9, 1992, at St. Louis.
The comeback represented the largest deficit overcome by the Cardinals since they rallied from being down 11-0 and beat the Giants, 14-12, on June 15, 1952, at New York.
The Cardinals totaled 15 hits and five walks against Braves pitchers John Smoltz, Juan Berenguer and Marvin Freeman, but still may have come up short if not for a mistake by catcher Damon Berryhill.
Makings of a blowout
Smoltz was matched against Cardinals starter Rheal Cormier in the Saturday night game at Busch Stadium.
It quickly became a mismatch.
Smoltz held the Cardinals hitless the first three innings.
The Braves scored eight runs off Cormier and another run off Juan Agosto and led 9-0 entering the bottom half of the fourth.
“You’d think with a 9-0 lead and a no-hitter going that we’re going to win,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Said Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnozzi: “When we were down 9-0, I turned to (umpire Bruce) Froemming and said, ‘This is ugly.’ ”
Staying alive
The Cardinals scored three times in the fourth, but the Braves came back with two runs in the fifth off Bob McClure for an 11-3 lead.
With that kind of support, Smoltz, one of the Braves’ best pitchers, usually would take control of a game. However, he gave up two more runs to the Cardinals in the fifth, making the score 11-5.
“When it was 11-5, I thought there still was time,” Pagnozzi said.
Felix Jose led off the St. Louis half of the seventh with a double against Smoltz. After Pedro Guerrero grounded out and Brian Jordan popped out, Todd Zeile singled, driving in Jose and cutting the Braves’ lead to 11-6.
Cox replaced Smoltz with Berenguer.
Big break
An intimidating, hard thrower, Berenguer struck out the first batter he faced, Pagnozzi, but the third strike eluded Berryhill for a passed ball, allowing Pagnozzi to reach first and Zeile to move to second.
Instead of being out of the inning and heading to the eighth with an 11-6 lead, the Braves still needed a third out.
“I just blew it,” said Berryhill. “It’s something that should never happen. I kept it alive for them.”
The next batter, Luis Alicea, walked, loading the bases.
Cardinals manager Joe Torre sent Gerald Perry to pinch-hit for pitcher Cris Carpenter. Perry, a former Brave, ripped a bases-clearing double, making the score 11-9.
Ray Lankford popped out, ending the inning, but momentum had swung toward the Cardinals.
“When we got those three runs, we thought we had a chance,” Perry said.
Awesome Alicea
In the eighth, Berenguer walked Ozzie Smith. Jose followed with a home run, tying the score at 11-11.
“I knew they had no chance after Felix’s homer,” Zeile told the Atlanta Constitution.
Cox replaced Berenguer with Freeman.
Guerrero grounded out, Jordan doubled and Zeile struck out.
With two outs and Jordan at second, the Braves opted to intentionally walk Pagnozzi and pitch to Alicea, the St. Louis second baseman who was batting .115 overall and was hitless with runners in scoring position.
Alicea thwarted the strategy with a single to left, but Ron Gant made a strong throw home. Jordan, racing for the plate, tried to score standing, stepped on Berryhill’s foot, and fell to the ground after crossing the plate. Froemming called him safe, giving the Cardinals a 12-11 lead.
Some thought Jordan’s foot never touched the plate, but Berryhill said, “I don’t know if I tagged him. I just know he stepped on my foot.”
Cox told the Atlanta Constitution, “He was out.”
Jordan told the Associated Press, “I was looking to run over him, but he stepped back. He had his foot on the plate, but I kicked it or stepped on it. I scored.”
To the Atlanta Constitution on whether he touched the plate, Jordan said, “I touched it according to the umpire and that is all that mattered.”
Defying the odds
Cardinals closer Lee Smith retired the Braves in order in the ninth, sealing the win.
The Braves scored all of their runs against left-handers: Cormier, Agosto and McClure. They were held scoreless by right-handers Carpenter, Mike Perez and Smith.
“This is the best (comeback) I’ve ever witnessed,” Perry said.
Said Cox: “The odds on you losing a nine-run lead are about 500-to-1.” Boxscore and Video
Previously: How Braves rallied from 9 down to beat Cardinals
RetroSimba 
In August 1973, the Cardinals staked Rick Wise to a 7-0 lead in Atlanta. Lost, 11-7. Sure could have used that win, the way the season played out.
Yes, Rick Wise hit a grand slam in that game. Here is a link to a paragraph summary of the game, plus the boxscore: https://retrosimba.com/2011/09/04/cardinals-pitchers-enjoy-grand-slam-streak/
I’ll admit that the umpire might have made the wrong call on Brian Jordan. Still though, give the Cardinals credit. Good plate discipline and clutch opposite field hitting. Things which today are becoming a lost art. Louis Alicea would not pick up another hit against Marvin Freeman until 1996.
Thanks. I agree. From the video and replays, Jordan looked like he should have been out. I, too, was impressed by the Luis Alicea at-bat. I like how he took the pitch the opposite way and got the slicing single rather than swinging from his heels like so many do today.