SAN FRANCISCO — At the same ballpark where more than a decade ago seasons came to a chilly end in late October, the Cardinals were eliminated with a week to go in September.

The Cardinals conjured one more rally to knot the game in late innings and threaten to complete a sweep of the Giants in San Francisco for the first time since 1993. A win would have kept them alive on the periphery of the National League’s wild-card race for at least another day and also give them shot at a winning record in 2025.

Both opportunities disappeared when a ball hit by a former teammate skipped past a diving fielder and out toward the center-field wall.

Andrew Knizner, the Cardinals’ longtime backup catcher, laced a ball to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning. Victor Scott II’s attempt to div

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