Angry baseball fans in Atlanta showered Turner Field with debris in disgust at a contentious umpire decision during the St Louis Cardinals' 6-3 defeat of the Atlanta Braves in the first ever one-game National League wildcard showdown.
Trailing 6-3 in the eighth inning with two men on, the Braves had appeared to load the bases when Andrelton Simmons's pop up fly to shallow left fell between two Cardinals fielders.
The umpire ruled Simmons's hit an infield fly and an automatic out, prompting the incensed sellout crowd to hurl bottles and other debris on the field, sending the players and umpires searching for cover.
Following a 20-minute delay, the players returned to the diamond with the Braves playing the remainder of the game under protest.
The World Series champion Cardinals had little time to enjoy their historic win, as they raced off the field amid more debris-tossing from fans.
The Cardinals head home to host the NL East champion Washington Nationals in the opening game of the best-of-five divisional series on Monday.
