Tampa Bay Rays vs St. Louis Cardinals Match Player Stats On Aug 26, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 26, 2017

ST. LOUIS -- Tommy Pham belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Busch Stadium.

Matt Carpenter started the winning rally with an infield hit off Brad Boxberger (3-4). On a 2-2 pitch, Pham lined a slider just below the knees an estimated 419 feet for his first career walkoff blast.

Tyler Lyons (2-0) pitched a clean ninth for the win as St. Louis (65-64) won for just the fourth time in 12 games. Tampa Bay (64-67) remained three games behind Minnesota for the American League's second wild-card spot.

St. Louis tied the game in the eighth with a pair of two-out RBI singles. Yadier Molina knocked in Pham, and three singles later, Kolten Wong's grounder to right plated Molina with the equalizer.

Down 3-0, the Cardinals clawed back into the game with two runs in the sixth. Paul DeJong's triple down the left-field line scored Pham and Molina's two-out fly ball to left-center was lost in the lights by left fielder Corey Dickerson, falling in for a double.

Adeiny Hechavarria's third homer of the year in the seventh restored a 4-2 lead for Tampa Bay.

Both starters were no-decisioned despite solid performances. Tampa Bay lefty Blake Snell gave up only four hits and two runs over seven innings, walking three and whiffing seven.

St. Louis' Mike Leake also lasted seven innings, just his second start of that length in his last 10. Leake permitted six hits and four homers with no walks and three strikeouts.

Tampa Bay started the scoring in the top of the first inning. After a two-out single by Evan Longoria, Lucas Duda belted a two-run homer to left center, his seventh home run since being traded to the Rays from the New York Mets last month.

Dickerson made it 3-0 in the fourth, ripping a solo shot to right center for his 25th homer of the year. It came on the first pitch after Leake had retired six straight hitters.

Meanwhile, St. Louis could do little against Snell. He didn't give up a hit until Randal Grichuk laced a two-out double down the left-field line in the fourth. Snell sailed through five innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

NOTES: St. Louis CF Dexter Fowler (illness) was sent home Saturday by the club after arriving at the clubhouse. The team was worried that Fowler was contagious, so they played with a three-man bench. ... Tampa Bay INF Brad Miller (shoulder contusion), who didn't start Friday night after being drilled with a pitch against Toronto Thursday, was back in the lineup Saturday night. He played second base and batted eighth. ... Cardinals OF Tommy Pham (foot) was back in the lineup Saturday night, batting second and playing in CF. Pham didn't start Friday night but singled as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning.