x
Breaking News
More () »

Cardinals shutdown Philly 7-6 with 9th inning homer

The other encouraging sign for the Cardinals was in his return from the disabled list, Greg Holland worked a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts.
Credit: Jeff Curry (USA Today), Joel Hulsey (KSDK)
Photo: Jeff Curry (USA Today), Joel Hulsey (KSDK)

It was just over a month ago that the Cardinals produced analytical data which, they said, showed Matt Carpenter’s .140 average was due more to simple bad luck than a sudden dropoff in his offensive ability.

That luck will turn, they said the data showed.

On Tuesday night, the evidence was on display in Philadelphia as Carpenter came through with a two-run double in the seventh inning that tied the game and he then launched a two-out homer in the ninth that gave the Cardinals the win over the Phillies.

Since May 16, Carpenter has raised his average 99 points, to .239, going 42-of-129 in that stretch, a .326 average. His homer was his fifth in the last nine games and third in as many games.

After his double, Carpenter scored the go-ahead run on a two-run double by Jose Martinez before the Phillies responded with two runs in the eighth to create another tie.

The other encouraging sign for the Cardinals was in his return from the disabled list, Greg Holland worked a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts.

Here is how the game broke down:

At the plate: Carpenter’s homer was the third of the game for the Cardinals, following shots from Tommy Pham in the third and Kolten Wong in the fifth … The Cardinals trailed 4-2 going to the seventh when Yairo Munoz singled and Wong was hit by a pitch before they both scored on Carpenter’s double … Pham reached on an infield single, and both Carpenter and Pham scored on the double by Martinez … It was the first four-run inning for the Cardinals since Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam in the first inning on June 3 … The next six batters were retired in order before Carpenter’s home run landed just inside the right-field foul pole with two outs in the ninth.

On the mound: Luke Weaver allowed four runs over five innings, giving up six hits and four walks. He has allowed four runs in four of his last five starts and has not earned a win in his last seven starts … John Brebbia pitched around a leadoff single in the sixth before Holland’s perfect seventh … Austin Gomber allowed a walk and single in the eighth before he was relieved by Jordan Hicks, who gave up the game-tying two-run double to Rhys Hoskins before recording the last four outs, the final two on strikeouts, to get the victory.

Key stat: The Cardinals’ three homers on Tuesday night were all solo shots. Of their 92 home runs this season, 63 have come with no runners on base.

Worth noting: Seven of Carpenter’s 12 home runs this season have come in the seventh inning or later … The Cardinals opened a roster spot for Holland by putting Matt Bowman back on the disabled list. He revealed that he is having a problem with blood flow to the fingers on his right hand, creating blisters and a numbness feeling … The Cardinals’ first-round draft pick, Nolan Gorman, homered in his second at-bat of his pro debut Tuesday night for rookie-level Johnson City.

Looking ahead: Michael Wacha will get the start in the final game of the series against the Phillies, which begins at 12:05 p.m. St. Louis time on Wednesday.

More from Rob:

Before You Leave, Check This Out