Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 3, Cubs 2 (10 innings)
By Rob Rains
When Pete Crow-Armstrong broke up a scoreless game with a two-run homer in the 10th inning on Wednesday night, it appeared the Cubs were headed for another win over the Cardinals.
That was before the struggling Cardinals’ offense came to life in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs to pull off the walk-off win at Busch Stadium.
Ivan Herrera delivered the game-winning blow, a two-run double. That followed an infield hit by Lars Nootbaar, a walk to JJ Wetherholt and a fielder’s choice grounder by Jordan Walker that drove in the first run.
The Cubs had pounded the Cardinals for 17 runs and 31 hits in the first two games of the series but were shut out through the first nine innings on just one hit by starter Dustin May and four relievers.
In what might have been his last start for the Cardinals before Monday’s trade deadline, May allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals failed to convert two scoring chances, once in the fifth and also in the sixth. They left two runners on base in the fifth and in the sixth they loaded the bases with two outs but Blaze Jordan fouled out to strand all three runners … Jordan doubled with two outs in the ninth before Nathan Church popped out … The double by Herrera in the 10th was his third hit of the game … Going into the 10th inning the Cardinals had scored a combined five runs in 27 innings in the series.
On the mound: The only hit May allowed was a two-out double by Alex Bregman in the fourth. He also walked two and struck out three, coming out after throwing only 70 pitches … Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek, George Soriano and Riley O’Brien each worked a scoreless inning, although O’Brien hit a batter and issued an intentional walk before Dansby Swanson flew out to end the ninth inning … The home run from Crow-Armstrong, off Luis Gasteium, was his first hit in the series in 15 plate appearances.
Key stat: This was the Cardinals’ first walk-off win over the Cubs since Aug. 4, 2022 when the winning run scored in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Nootbaar. It was the first 10th inning walk-off win over the Cubs since July 21, 2021 when the Cardinals won on RBI single by Yadier Molina.
Worth nothing: Nineteen-year-old catcher Rainiel Rodriguez, the top prospect in the Cardinals’ organization, hit two homers for Springfield on Wednesday night. He has 11 homers at Double and 15 for the season.
Up next: Andre Pallante will get the start on Thursday in the final game of the four-game series and the homestand.
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