Pederson Powers Late Rally
Joc Pederson delivered the decisive blows for the Texas Rangers, recording two hits and driving in two runs to secure a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rangers overcame a late Cardinals rally in the seventh inning before breaking the game open with three runs in the ninth. The win improved Texas to 30-31, while St. Louis fell to 31-28 in front of 24,859 fans at Busch Stadium.
Cardinals Strike First
The Cardinals took an early lead in the second inning when Crooks singled to right, scoring Torres and advancing Winn to third. St. Louis extended their advantage in the fourth when Gorman hit a solo home run to left field, making the score 0-2. The Rangers responded in the fifth inning when Lopez grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Carter to score, cutting the deficit to 1-2. Pederson immediately answered with a double to right that plated Lopez, tying the game at 2-2.
Rangers Seize Momentum
Texas took the lead in the sixth inning as Osuna singled to right, bringing home Burger for a 3-2 advantage. The Cardinals fought back in the seventh inning, first with Burleson doubling to left to score Wetherholt, narrowing the gap to 4-3. Walker followed with a single to left that scored Herrera, tying the game at 4-4. However, the Rangers regained control in the ninth inning. Pederson singled to left to score Carter, giving Texas a 5-4 lead. Jung then singled to right to plate Helman, extending the advantage to 6-4. The game was sealed when Nimmo hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Pederson for the final 7-4 score.
Pitching Decisions
Nathan Eovaldi pitched 6.0 innings for the Rangers, allowing 11 hits and four earned runs while striking out seven. He was relieved by Jalen Beeks, who worked 1.2 scoreless innings, and Cal Quantrill, who earned the win with a 0.1-inning appearance. Jakob Junis recorded the save with a scoreless ninth. For the Cardinals, Dustin May pitched 5.2 innings, surrendering three earned runs on five hits with nine strikeouts. Riley O'Brien took the loss, pitching one inning and allowing three earned runs on three hits.
Sources
https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401815600