Monday’s Game Report: Nationals 9, Cardinals 6
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals appeared to be on their way to another comeback victory on Monday night in Washington, but the Nationals had other ideas.
The Nationals staged their own comeback, hitting three home runs in a six-run eighth inning that carried them to the win in the opener of a three-game series.
Jordan Walker homered in the top of the eighth, when the Cardinals scored three runs to break a 3-3 tie and take a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the inning.
Ryne Stanek and Matt Svanson could not hold the lead, however, as James Wood hit a three-run homer off Stanek to tie the game before Svanson served up a two-run homer to Brady House and a solo shot to C.J. Abrams that capped the inning.
In the Cardinals five wins this season in their first 10 games, four of them have come in games when they trailed at some point in the game.
Here is how Monday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals trailed 2-0 before Thomas Saggese doubled and scored on a groundout by Alec Burleson in the fifth and Ramon Urias launched a two-run homer in the sixth to put the Cardinals ahead 3-2 … Walker led off the eighth with his third homer of the year before Urias doubled in another run and Victor Scott II’s sacrifice bunt produced the final run … The Cardinals finished the game with nine hits, snapping a streak of six consecutive games with six or fewer hits. Urias had three of the nine hits.
On the mound: Andre Pallante allowed the first two runs for the Nationals in the first inning then did not allow another hit until House doubled with two outs in the fifth … Justin Bruihl issued back-to-back walks with two outs in the sixth before a double tied the game … With one out in the eighth, Stanek allowed consecutive singles in front of the home run from Wood … Svanson relieved with the game tied and gave up a double before House’s homer, got a strikeout and then gave up the homer to Abrams.
Key stat: This was the second biggest eighth inning by the Nationals against the Cardinals in franchise history. They scored seven runs in the eighth on April 10, 2017, without hitting a home run.
Worth noting: Wood also robbed Nolan Gorman of a home run with an over-the-wall catch in the fourth … Saggese, playing left field, threw out the potential go-ahead runner at the plate in the seventh … Masyn Winn was a late addition to the lineup after going through pre-game workouts … The Cardinals completed the off-season trade that sent Sonny Gray to Boston on Monday by acquiring right-handed pitcher Patrick Galle as the player to be named later in the deal. Galle, 22, was assigned to Palm Beach … It was announced on Monday that former Cardinals catcher Tom Nieto has died. Nieto, 65, died from a heart attack, according to social media reports. Nieto played for the Cardinals in 1984 and 1985 during his seven-year career in the majors.
Up next: Matthew Liberatore will get the start on Tuesday night in the second game of the series.
Follow Rob Rains on X @RobRains