Rangers Rally To Beat Cardinals
ST. LOUIS — For the Texas Rangers, it was another sign that they are never out of a game.
For the St. Louis Cardinals, it was perhaps their most brutal loss of the season.
Down 3-0 with two outs and none on in the top of the eighth inning on Saturday, Texas scored two in the eighth and two in the ninth to close out an improbable 4-3 win at Busch Stadium.
Shin-Soo Choo’s bases-loaded walk with one out in the ninth tied the score and Ian Desmond’s sacrifice fly delivered the winning run as the Rangers (44-25) upped their record to 7-2 on their 10-game road trip while winning their fifth straight game and a club record ninth straight series.
“I don’t think they’re going to give us any badges,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said when asked about the franchise record. “We’ve got another game tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, St. Louis (35-32) dropped its fourth straight game, all at home to American League West teams, and lost for the first time in 34 games when leading after eight innings. It contributed plenty to
the late-game collapse, pitching in baseball malfeasances such as walks, errors, hit batters, wild pitches and passed balls.
Closer Trevor Rosenthal (2-2), who faced three batters and retired none in the ninth, absorbed the loss.
“Those little things … those things come back to haunt you,” he said.
For most of the day, it appeared that the Cardinals wouldn’t have to sweat the small stuff. Carlos Martinez dominated the Rangers for seven scoreless innings, allowing four singles — two of the infield variety — and one walk with four strikeouts.
Martinez even kick-started a two-run rally in the fifth with a single, leading to RBI hits by Kolten Wong and Stephen Piscotty, that gave St. Louis a three-run lead that seemed like 30 as Martinez mowed down one hitter after another.
Seung Hwan Oh relieved Martinez to start the eighth and quickly fanned the first two men he faced, then got ahead of Choo 0-2. But Choo singled, Desmond doubled and then the Cardinals pitched in.
Oh’s wild pitch with Nomar Mazara at the plate scored Choo. First baseman Matt Adams then botched Mazara’s grounder, plating Desmond to slice the lead to a run.
Rosenthal started the ninth but didn’t last long. Rougned Odor beat out an infield hit on which Rosenthal broke late to first and Jurickson Profar singled him to second. Rosenthal then hit Robinson Chirinos with a fastball to load the bases.
Manager Mike Matheny hooked Rosenthal for Kevin Siegrist, who induced a short flyout to center from pinch-hitter Ryan Rua that kept Odor at third. But Siegrist buckled at the end of an eight-pitch at-bat against Choo, missing wide on a 3-2 offering to tie the score.
“That’s why we’re in first place,” Choo said. “We never think we’re out of a game.”
Desmond then lined a 2-1 pitch to left, where Tommy Pham ran it down near the warning track. Profar scored easily to cap the comeback, and Jake Diekman nailed it down with a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season.
None of Texas’ runs scored on a hit. It was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, but still won for the 21st time after trailing in a game.
“It’s not how you draw it up, but these guys find a way,” Banister said.
St. Louis started the scoring in the second on Yadier Molina’s single that chased Jhonny Peralta home from second.
Rangers right-hander Nick Martinez, making his first start of the year, pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs with two walks and a strikeout. Three relievers backed him up with 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Shawn Tolleson (1-2) picked up the win after pitching the eighth.
The unlikely rally denied Carlos Martinez his second four-game winning streak of the year.
“It stings right now, that’s for sure,” Matheny said. “You go back and remember games that you felt you should have put away, and this is one.”
