Jordan Walker hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the St. Louis Cardinals avoid a three-game sweep by beating the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 Sunday in the series finale.
Walker’s 16th homer of the season came against reliever Seranthony Dominguez (4-5) and broke a 5-5 tie. Ryan Helsley allowed a single and walked a batter in the ninth, but stranded both runners to earn his 11th save.
John King (2-1) got the win despite allowing a run on three hits in the eighth inning, his only inning on the mound.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run and a two-run double for the Cardinals (66-83). Nolan Arenado and Andrew Knizner each added two hits.
Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson allowed three runs and five hits over five innings, walking three and striking out three.
The Phillies trailed 5-3 until Alec Bohm hit a solo home run to lead off the eighth. They made it 5-5 on a run-scoring single by Nick Castellanos later in the inning.
Goldschmidt’s 25th homer of the season broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning. The Cardinals increased their lead to 5-3 when Alec Burleson doubled and scored on Arenado’s single.
The loss ended Philadelphia’s two-game winning streak. The Phillies (81-68) own sole possession of the first wild-card spot in the National League by three games over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Phillies starter Taijuan Walker went seven innings and yielded five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the third. Goldschmidt began the scoring with a double that drove in Juniel Querecuto and Knizner, and Arenado followed with an RBI double that scored Goldschmidt.
The Phillies tied the game with a three-run fourth. Bryce Harper made it 3-1 when he scored on Bryson Stott’s sacrifice; Bohm scored on a fielder’s choice; and J.T. Realmuto pulled the Phillies even when he scored on second baseman Querecuto’s throwing error.
Bohm, Stott and Trea Turner each had two hits for the Phillies.
–Field Level Media
