St. Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays Match Player Stats On Aug 10, 2023

Matthew Liberatore showed why he was once ranked among baseball's top prospects, tossing eight shutout innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The 23-year-old Liberatore, making his 11th appearance and 10th start this season, established career highs for innings and strikeouts in a start (seven), as well as total pitches (101).

The night was sweet for the left-hander who was drafted by the Rays in the first round in 2018 but dealt to the Cardinals in a January 2020 trade that sent All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena to Tampa Bay.

Arozarena had one of two singles off Liberatore (2-4), who didn't allow a baserunner after Wander Franco singled in the fourth.

Andrew Knizner hit a two-run home run and Tommy Edman added a solo shot for the Cardinals, who took two of three in the series.

The Rays got on the board in the ninth on Franco's two-out, RBI triple off JoJo Romero. Franco scored Tampa Bay's second run on a wild pitch.

Zack Littell (2-3) gave up three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in six innings.

St. Louis claimed the lead in the third on Knizner's two-out, two-run home run. Nolan Arenado singled to lead off the inning, and after Littell logged two outs, Knizner connected on his ninth home run.

The Cardinals added a run in the sixth to make it 3-0.

Arenado swatted a one-out single, and on a hit-and-run, Alec Burleson slapped a single to right-center. Arenado was able to score from first on Burleson's RBI hit.

The Cardinals manufactured an unearned run in the seventh, padding their lead to 4-0. Off reliever Cooper Criswell, Taylor Motter and Edman each singled. Lars Nootbaar ripped a hard grounder that Yandy Diaz snared at first. Diaz went to second for the forceout, but Franco at short, after securing the forceout at second base, made a throwing error to first, with Criswell late covering the bag. Motter trotted home.

Edman hit his eighth homer of the season in the ninth.

--Field Level Media