Nolan Arenado delivered his 10th career game of at least five RBIs as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals 10-0 on Wednesday afternoon to get the best of a three-game interleague series between the Missouri rivals
Arenado had a three-run home run three baters into the game and added a two-run single in the seventh as St. Louis won two of the three games.
It was the third time the Royals were shut out in the past five games.
Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (3-3) allowed just one hit — a single by Michael A. Taylor in the third — over seven scoreless innings, with two strikeouts and one walk. He didn’t allow more than one baserunner in an inning and only allowed only two runners to reach second base.
Juan Yepez became the first player in Cardinals history to have two doubles in his MLB debut, while veteran Albert Pujols, who went to high school in the Kansas City area, went 0-for-4.
Kansas City’s Salvador Perez went 0-for-4 and has just two hits in his last 41 at-bats, including no hits in his last 23.
Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (0-3) went less than an inning for the second time in a start this season. He walked the first two batters he faced before giving up the home run to Arenado. After getting Albert Pujols to line out to center, Bubic gave up a double to Yepez and his day was done.
Tyler O’Neill greeted reliever Joel Payamps with an RBI triple, and Harrison Bader’s sacrifice fly gave the Cardinals an early 5-0 lead. Four of the runs were charged to Bubic as the Royals have been outscored 25-5 in the first inning this season.
The Royals were coming off a victory Tuesday night whjen they had a season high 15 hits in a 7-1 victory over the Cardinals.
With Bubic’s early departure, the bullpen saw plenty of action. Five Royals relievers gave up six runs on six hits with seven walks over the final 8 2/3 innings. Kansas City’s Amir Garrett walked three straight batters in the seventh, while Ronald Bolanos gave up Arenado’s two-run single.
Paul DeJong had sacrifice fly to score a Cardinals run in the eighth, and O’Neill hit a two-run homer in the ninth.
–Field Level Media
