Phillies' 6-run ninth tops Cardinals in 6-3 wild-card win
The Phillies scored six times in the ninth inning off the stingy St. Louis bullpen, highlighted by a bases-loaded single by Jean Segura, and Philadelphia beat the NL Central champion Cardinals 6-3 in the opening game of their National League wild-card series.
Pujols hits 703rd HR to pass Babe for 2nd in RBI; Cards lose
Albert Pujols hit his 703rd home run, breaking a tie with Babe Ruth for second place in career RBIs, but the St. Louis Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh 3-2 when the Pirates drew four consecutive walks in the ninth inning to force home the winning run.
Arenado's error helps Mets stun Cards 5-2 with 5 runs in 9th
Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith hustled for an infield single that drove in two pivotal runs, and the New York Mets capitalized on an uncharacteristic error by Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado to rally for five runs with two outs in the ninth inning of a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cards match record with 14th straight win, rip Cubs 12-4
The surging St. Louis Cardinals emphatically matched a team record with their 14th straight win, pounding the Chicago Cubs 12-4 in the second game of a doubleheader behind Tyler OโNeillโs three-run homer and a pair of solo shots by Lars Nootbaar.
Record onslaught: Dodgers score 11 in 1st to rout Cards 14-3
Cody Bellinger had a grand slam and six RBIs as the Dodgers scored their most runs in one inning of a regular-season game since moving to Los Angeles, piling up 11 in the bottom of the first during a 14-3 blowout over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Twins newcomer Happ back on mound after positive virus test
The two-time AL Central champion Twins are hoping Happ can give them a veteran presence at the back of their rotation. Ian Anderson pitched two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk. Houston piggy-backed a pair of starters with Framber Valdez yielding McNeil's homer in the first two innings, striking out two. AdBLUE JAYS 4, PHILLIES 2 (6)Steven Matz allowed a hit in two scoreless innings, striking out three without a walk. CUBS 3, ROYALS 2 (7)Outfielder Rafael Ortega, who signed a minor league deal with Chicago after playing 34 games for Atlanta last season, hit a bases-loaded triple.
Done deal: Arenado traded from Rockies to Cardinals
A person familiar with the swap tells The Associated Press that the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to acquire All-Star third baseman Arenado from the Rockies in a trade needing approvals before it can be finalized. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)ST. LOUIS โ The St. Louis Cardinals completed their blockbuster trade to acquire All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies on Monday night. St. Louis dealt left-hander Austin Gomber and four minor leaguers to the Rockies: infielders Elehuris Montero and Mateo Gil along with right-handers Tony Locey and Jake Sommers. As part of the trade, Colorado will send cash to St. Louis to offset part of the money Arenado is due in his contract. Arenado is the latest established star acquired by St. Louis in his prime.
AP source: Cardinals to acquire Arenado from Rockies
A person familiar with the swap tells The Associated Press that the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to acquire All-Star third baseman Arenado from the Rockies in a trade needing approvals before it can be finalized. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to acquire All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in a trade needing approvals before it can be finalized, a person familiar with the swap tells The Associated Press. Arenado slumped during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting .253 with eight home runs and a .738 OPS over 48 games. Wainwright is returning for his 17th season with St. Louis, matching Bob Gibson (1959-75) for the second-most seasons with the Cardinals among pitchers, one behind Jesse Haines (1920-37). The 38-year-old could still return for an 18th season with the Cardinals after hitting .262 with four home runs in 2020.
9 Padres pitchers blank Cardinals 4-0 in Game 3, reach NLDS
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., center, celebrates with teammates after the Padres defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in Game 3 of a National League wild-card baseball series Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in San Diego. San Diego became the first team in baseball history to use eight or more pitchers in three straight postseason games. The Padres rewarded their long-suffering fans by winning one of the most meaningful games of any kind in San Diego in a long time. The cityโs only major professional championship remains the San Diego Chargersโ 1963 AFL title. The Padres lost 4-1 to the Detroit Tigers in the 1984 World Series and were swept by the New York Yankees in the 1998 Fall Classic.
Tatis, Myers homer twice, Padres stay alive with 11-9 win
Tatis hit a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth and Machado followed with a tying shot. It was the second time the Padres hit consecutive shots in the playoffs. With Austin Nola aboard on a walk, Tatis hit a no-doubt, opposite field shot to right with two outs in the seventh. Tatis was second in the NL with 17 homers in the regular season, Machado had 16 and Myers 15. Yadier Molina, appearing in his NL-record 100th postseason game, hit an RBI single in the first and added his 100th career postseason hit in the ninth before being lifted for a pinch-runner.
Goldschmidt, Cardinals win 7-4 in Padres' return to playoffs
The Cardinals need one more win to eliminate the Padres from the postseason for the fourth time since 1996. San Diego native Tommy Edman singled and Goldschmidt homered to left. Dylan Carlson doubled, 38-year-old Yadier Molina hit an RBI single and Paul DeJong doubled before Matt Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly. Paddack allowed three straight hits to open the third, including DeJongโs RBI single, before being replaced by Matt Strahm. Dexter Fowler hit an RBI single in the ninth off Trevor Rosenthal, who started his big league career with the Cardinals.
Pandemic playoffs: Brewers, Astros in despite losing records
Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in a baseball game to earn a playoff birth Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in St. Louis. Thatโs when the Brewers, at 29-31, open their series against Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler at Dodger Stadium. In a win-and-youโre-in game, St. Louis clinched by beating Milwaukee 5-2. Thatโs how you see it,โ Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. St. Louis played a total of 58 games โ it was prepared for a doubleheader in Detroit on Monday if needed to settle the playoff picture.
Wainwright throws CG on 39th birthday, Cards top Indians 7-2
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright delivers during the first inning of a baseball game Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)ST. LOUIS Adam Wainwright turned back the clock with a complete game on his 39th birthday as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 Sunday. St. Louis had mustered just three runs in the past 28 innings before the outburst. He was very sharp.PITCHING CYCLEWith the start against the Indians, Wainwright has made at least one versus every team except the Cardinals. Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson (0-2, 3.32 ERA) begins a three-game series in Cincinnati when he faces RHP Anthony DeSclafani (1-1, 5.71) on Monday night.
LEADING OFF: Cole goes for 20th win in row, Cubs-Cards off
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)A look at what's happening in the majors on Saturday:RED-HOT COLEGerrit Cole tries for his 20th straight regular-season win when he pitches for the Yankees at Tampa Bay. Cole is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract with New York. Cole lost the World Series opener last year when Washington beat the Astros. Paul Goldschmidt and the Cards have been off since a week ago Friday, when two players returned positive coronavirus tests.
MLB hitters slow out of the box to start 60-game season
The Milwaukee Brewers star is 1 for 27 to start the season, an .037 average that's worst among qualified hitters. Coming off a condensed preseason camp for a 60-game season truncated by the coronavirus pandemic, hitters are stumbling out of the batter's box. The league-wide batting average after Wednesday's games is .229, down from .252 last season even though the National League adopted the designated hitter for this season. And although hitters often start slowly in March and April, this collective slump is far worse than anything seen in recent years. Many indicators of the offensive struggles, including a rise in strikeouts and drop in batting average, are continuations of trends already underway.