Tuesday’s Game Report: Angels 9, Cardinals 7 (11 innings)
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals rallied for three runs in the 10th inning to tie the Angels on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium. They needed another three-run rally if they were going to do it again in the 11th but were not able to pull it off and the Angels came away with their second consecutive extra-inning win.
After the Angels scored three runs in the top of the 10th off Ryan Fernandez, a two-run pinch-hit double by Luken Baker and an RBI single by Nolan Arenado tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
The Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out but Brendan Donovan stayed at third instead of trying to score what would have been the winning run on a fly to right by Jordan Walker. Ivan Herrera then grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
In the 11th, the Angels scored three more runs, this time off Chris Roycroft. The Cardinals got one back on a single by Victor Scott II, but Masyn Winn, Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras were retired to end the game.
Here is how Tuesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals scored twice off Kyle Hendricks, on a double by Nolan Gorman and single by Walker in the second and a home run from Walker, his first of the season, in the fourth … They trailed 3-2 in the eighth when Nootbaar led off with a single, went to third on two ground outs, and scored on a throwing error on a grounder from Arenado … Contreras, who was 0-of-18 coming into the game, was scheduled to get the night off but came in to play first base in the 11th after Alec Burleson was pulled from the game in the 10th for pinch-runner Michael Siani … Winn was 0-of-4 and also remained hitless in the season’s first five games … The Cardinals were a combined 4-of-16 with runners in scoring position.
On the mound: In his first start of the season Matthew Liberatore worked six innings. He retired the first eight hitters he faced but then gave up four consecutive two-out hits in the third that produced the first three Angels runs … Kyle Leahy retired all six hitters he faced in the seventh and eighth and Ryan Helsley worked a 1-2-3 ninth to keep the game tied and send it to extra innings.
Key stat: The win was the sixth in a row for the Angels in St. Louis, dating back to 2019. They swept the last three-game series at Busch, in 2023.
Worth noting: With his single leading off the first inning, Nootbaar has now reached base in that inning in all five games with four hits and a walk … Nootbaar also reached on a single in the eighth and was on base a combined 14 times, two shy of the franchise record, in the five games … Hendricks, who has killed the Cardinals over the years, left with a 3-2 lead after six innings but had to settle for a no-decision in his first start against the Cardinals for anybody other than the Cubs. Since 2017 he is 13-2 with seven no-decisions against the Cardinals … Former Cardinal pitcher Lance Lynn announced his retirement from baseball on Tuesday after he had been unsuccessful in signing with a team for this year.
Up next: The Cardinals will try to salvage the final game of the series in a game scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Sonny Gray will make his second start.
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