Video: Cardinals claw out a win thanks to rally cat

It was the bottom of the sixth; the Cardinals trailed the Royals 5-4 with three on and two out. St. Louis was in dire need of some kind of spirit animal to help them prevail.

Cue: Rally Cat.

Somehow during the bottom of the sixth, a stray cat managed to get on the field somewhere near the third base line.

The commotion caused a delay to the game, while a grounds crew member tried to capture the wild beast. The kitten was cute and all, but don’t let that fool you. Luke Hackmann, the grounds crew member summoned to retrieve the cat, took a few bites and scratches to his hand.

With the cat off the field, Yadier Molina stepped to the plate. And of course, the first pitch was the purrfect opportunity for Molina to hit a grand slam.

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“I’m not a cat person, but I sure like this one,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said after the Cardinals 8-5 win on Wednesday.

As for Hackmann, he’s OK, too. He’s now sporting a Cardinals red bandage on his finger.