Key keywords: Carson Kelly, Chicago Cubs, walk-off hit, 2024 MLB Regular Season, Wrigley Field, Cubs vs Cardinals rivalry, NL Central playoff race, late-game rally On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly delivered one of the most memorable moments of the 2024 MLB season so far, hitting a two-out, two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Cubs to a 5-4 win over their historic National League Central rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, in front of a sold-out crowd of 38,742 at Wrigley Field. The matchup marked the 10th meeting between the two division foes this year, with the Cardinals holding a 5-4 edge in the season series heading into the contest. St. Louis jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning, capitalizing on a pair of walks and a two-run home run from star third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Cubs clawed back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, courtesy of a Seiya Suzuki RBI single and a Christopher Morel sacrifice fly, before tying the game at 3-3 on an Ian Happ solo home run in the sixth. The Cardinals retook the lead in the top of the ninth, when outfielder Jordan Walker hit an RBI single off Cubs reliever Adbert Alzolay to put St. Louis up 4-3. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Suzuki notched his second hit of the night with a line drive single to right field, before shortstop Nico Hoerner drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second. After a fly out from Happ left the Cubs one out away from defeat, Kelly, who was drafted by the Cardinals in 2012 and spent the first three seasons of his MLB career in St. Louis before being traded in 2018, stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter against Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. On a 1-0 98 mph four-seam fastball, Kelly lined a shot down the left field line that bounced off the top of the outfield wall and stayed fair, bringing home both Suzuki and Hoerner to win the game. The crowd erupted as Kelly rounded first base, with his teammates pouring out of the dugout to mob him near home plate, dousing him in beer and ripping off his game jersey in celebration. After the game, Kelly told reporters, “This is the kind of moment you dream about as a kid, especially getting to do it against the team that drafted you, in front of the best fans in baseball at Wrigley. I couldn’t have written this better myself.” Cubs manager David Ross praised Kelly’s clutch performance, noting that the win pushes the Cubs to 62-54 on the season, just 1.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, as the team fights for its first playoff spot since 2020.