NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cardinals start flying with 4 HRs

St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado plays during a baseball game, Friday, July 1, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado plays during a baseball game, Friday, July 1, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)


PHILADELPHIA — Nolan Arenado sparked a record barrage of four consecutive home runs by St. Louis in the first inning, then hit a tiebreaking drive in the ninth that sent the Cardinals over the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 Saturday.

With two outs in the first, Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carlson homered off Kyle Gibson. It was the first time in major league history a team connected for four home runs in a row in the first inning.

“It was really cool just being a part of that,” Arenado said. “It was almost surreal. You didn’t really believe it. Those moments are special. I’m very thankful for them.” The Cardinals tied the MLB record for any inning with four in a row. It was the first time they had done it, and the 11th time overall in big league history.

“That was incredible,” Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol said. “Guys took some good swings. They were on attack.” The home crowd at Citizens Bank Park then gasped when Lars Nootbaar followed Carlson and made solid contact on a flyball that was caught in deep left field but well shy of the warning track to end the inning.

It was 6-6 when Arenado led off the ninth by clearing the wall in left field off Seranthony Dominguez (4-2) for his 17th home run. Arenando hit for the cycle on Friday night in the Cardinals’ 5-3 defeat to the Phillies.

“I just got enough of it,” Arena-do said. “We’re obviously excited to win the ballgame. That’s what’s most important.” Yairo Munoz hit a two-run double, Matt Vierling had a pair of RBI and Odubel Herrera had three hits for the Phillies.

“These guys kept battling,” Phillies Manager Rob Thomson said. “Came back to tie twice. Just couldn’t seem to get the lead, but I’m awfully proud of the way they battled.” Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley (4-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, striking out five of the seven batters he faced.

St. Louis put on a historic power display in the first.

After Gibson got the first two outs, Paul Goldschmidt singled before Arenado’s two-run shot to left field on a slider started the long ball onslaught.

Gorman followed by driving a 2-1 cutter into the seats in right field. Yepez fouled off a 1-2 pitch before clearing the fence in left field to mark the first time since Sept. 19, 2002, that the Cardinals hit three home runs in a row.

Carlson finished the amazing power display by connecting on a 1-0 sinker that hit the facing of the second deck in right field.

BRAVES 4, REDS 1 Spencer Strider (4-2) allowed one hit over six innings and matched a career high with 11 strikeouts, and Austin Riley homered for the second consecutive game and drove in two runs to lead Atlanta.

DODGERS 7, PADRES 2 Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Justin Turner homered during a seven-pitch span in the first inning, Tyler Anderson struck out six and Los Angeles continued its dominance of San Diego.

MARLINS 5, NATIONALS 3 Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run home run in the first inning and scored in the seventh, Daniel Castano picked up his first win of the season and Miami continued its domination of Washington.

PIRATES 7, BREWERS 4 Oneil Cruz got his 12th RBI in 13 games this season to help Pittsburgh defeat Milwaukee.

ROCKIES 11, DIAMONDBACKS 7 Brendan Rodgers capped a four-run first inning with a three-run home run as Colorado defeated Arizona.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ASTROS 9, ANGELS 1 Martin Maldonado homered twice and Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick added a home run each as Houston built a big lead early and didn’t let up in a win over Los Angeles.

MARINERS 2, ATHLETICS 1 Pinch-hitter Justin Upton homered to tie it in the eighth inning and Abraham Toro singled home the winning run in the ninth to lift Seattle.

RAYS 6-11, BLUE JAYS 2-5 Francisco Mejia homered twice, Isaac Paredes had three hits and five RBI, and Tampa Bay swept a doubleheader. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo blast for his 19th home run and Bradley Zimmer added a two-run home run in the second game, but couldn’t keep Toronto from getting swept at home for the first time in five doubleheaders. Left-hander Shane McClanahan (9-3) shut down the Blue Jays in the opener, allowing one run and three hits over seven innings and lowering his AL-leading ERA to 1.74. That win snapped the Rays’ season-high four-game losing streak.

TIGERS 4, ROYALS 3 Victor Reyes and Riley Greene hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning to lift Detroit.

TWINS 4, ORIOLES 3 Jorge Polanco hit a tying home run and Jose Miranda delivered a game-ending single as Minnesota rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

YANKEES 13-6, GUARDIANS 4-1 Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton blasted consecutive home runs, Nestor Cortes (7-3) shut Cleveland down for six innings and New York continued its torrid winning pace by beating the Guardians to complete a doubleheader sweep. Matt Carpenter homered twice and Gerrit Cole (7-2) brushed off giving up back-to-back home runs in New York’s romp in the opener. The Yankees are 25-6 since May 31.

INTERLEAGUE

CUBS 3, RED SOX 1 Mark Leiter Jr. (2-2) threw 5 1/3 solid innings of emergency relief, Nico Hoerner and Patrick Wisdom each had two hits and Chicago capitalized on a pair of Boston errors.

RANGERS 7, METS 3 Kole Calhoun homered twice and drove in four runs, Martin Perez (7-2) won his seventh consecutive decision and Texas beat New York.

WHITE SOX 5, GIANTS 3 Gavin Sheets doubled twice and drove in two runs, and Chicago held on to beat San Francisco.


Saturday’s games

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pittsburgh 7, Milwaukee 4

Miami 5, Washington 3

St. Louis 7, Philadelphia 6

Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 1

LA Dodgers 7, San Diego 2

Colorado 11, Arizona 7

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tampa Bay 6-11, Toronto 2-5

NY Yankees 13-6, Cleveland 4-1

Minnesota 4, Baltimore 3

Houston 9, LA Angels 1

Detroit 4, Kansas City 3

Seattle 2, Oakland 1

INTERLEAGUE

Texas 7, NY Mets 3

Chicago White Sox at San Francisco, (n)

Chicago Cubs 3, Boston 1


  photo  Texas Rangers relief pitcher Joe Barlow (68) celebrates with catcher Jonah Heim, right, after closing the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, July 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 


  photo  Texas Rangers' Kole Calhoun hits a solo home run off New York Mets' Trevor Williams in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 2, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 


  photo  Nolan Gorman
 
 


  photo  Dylan Carlson
 
 


Upcoming Events