Paul Goldschmidt hit two home runs and Lars Nootbaar delivered the game-winning single as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the visiting Detroit Tigers 3-2 in 10 innings Wednesday afternoon.
The Cardinals earned a split in the two-game interleague series while winning for just the third time in their last eight games overall.
Cardinals starting pitcher Jon Lester allowed one run on seven hits and two walks in five innings. T.J. McFarland (3-0), the fifth Cardinals reliever, held the Tigers scoreless in the 10th to earn the victory.
Jonathan Schoop went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI for the Tigers, who lost for the sixth time in their last nine games.
Pinch-hitter Miguel Cabrera hit a two-out double in the ninth off Cardinals closer Alex Reyes and Harold Castro tied the game 2-2 with a single up the middle, leading to the extra inning.
Nootbaar decided the game in the 10th inning with his two-out, bases-loaded single into right field.
Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal struck out 10 batters in five innings, but he allowed Goldschmidt's homers. Alex Lange, Joe Jimenez, Jose Cisnero and Gregory Soto each pitched a scoreless inning to get the game into extra innings.
But Michael Fulmer (5-6) look the loss after faltering in the 10th.
Goldschmidt put the Cardinals up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning with his homer over the left field bullpen. He struck again in the third, poking a homer down the right field line to double the Cardinals' lead to 2-0.
The Tigers finally broke through against Lester in the fifth inning. Derek Hill hit a two-out double and scored on Schoop's single to cut the lead to 2-1.
Luis Garcia relieved Lester for the sixth inning and worked around Jeimer Candelario's leadoff double to hold the lead. Giovanny Gallegos allowed Schoop's leadoff double in the eighth inning, but he retired the next three batters to strand him.
--Field Level Media
Detroit | St. Louis | |
Tarik Skubal | Player | Jon Lester |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
5.0 | IP | 5.0 |
10 | Strikeouts | 4 |
3 | Hits | 7 |
3.60 | ERA | 1.80 |
Detroit | St. Louis | |
Jonathan Schoop | Player | Paul Goldschmidt |
3 | Hits | 2 |
1 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 2 |
5 | TB | 8 |
.750 | Avg | .500 |