Shirtless fans spark energy in Cardinals' 5-4 walk-off win over Royals

During the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night at Busch Stadium, fans began moving to an empty section in right field and took off their shirts.

The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth when the group started the move. About 100 fans joined at first, and by the time the game reached extra innings the entire section was filled with shirtless spectators, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Caleb Cummings, a 20-year-old on the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team, came up with the idea.

"I looked at my buddy and said, 'What if we go up there to right field bleachers and start waving our shirts?'" Cummings told the Post-Dispatch. "They're like, 'You know what, that's a good idea.' We had no intentions of it getting that big — we were just going out there to have fun. We got up there, and we're all standing there, and we're like, 'Who's gonna do it first?'"

Bryce Bradford was the first to pull off his shirt and wave it, drawing others quickly.

"He started waving it and going crazy," Cummings said. "So then it just spread, and then there are a few kids in the section next to us who came to join. And soon, I see people from the ages of like 80 years old to kids doing it. Dads coming over with their kids, running over with their shirts off."

When Yohel Pozo hit a pinch-hit line drive on a 100 mph fastball to win the game in the bottom of the 11th inning, the shirtless fans in right field erupted. It was the Cardinals' fourth walk-off win of the season.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol opened his postgame news conference by praising the energy the fans created.

"Whoever started that in right field, I'll do whatever I need to do to make sure they come to every game," Marmol said. "Because that was awesome. Not only them, but everybody that showed up today. That was a fun environment."

The manager said the fans affected the game itself.

"It creates an environment where, it's not only filling this place up, it's making it a tough place for other teams to come in and play," Marmol said. "That was pretty damn cool. I'll sign up for that, any day."

The Cardinals, now 26-18, will try to keep the momentum when they host the Royals, 19-26, again on Saturday in the second game of the three-game series.