By MATT PIKE
The St. Louis Cardinals could not overcome a six run fifth inning, sparked by a leadoff singled from Cole Carrigg, who had two hits, as the Colorado Rockies beat the Cardinals 10-7 Coors Field.
Colorado starter Mason Adams, making his third start since his major league failed to make it out of the fifth and was denied his first career win, after the Cardinals started off with a 3-0 lead before the six run outburst by the Rockies. Joshua Báez hit a solo home run for St. Louis in the second inning to start the scoring before Iván Herrera hit a two run home run, scoring Nathan Church, in the top of the fifth inning. Adams was pulled after giving up a single to Alec Burleson with two outs, and reliever Zach Agnos forced Jordan Walker to ground out ending the half inning.
Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore lost his eighth straight decision, falling to 5-14 on the season, and has not won in his last nine starts. After sitting down the first 10 batters he walked Connor Norby, then got the next two batters before Colorado broke through in the fifth. Carrigg scored on a single from Troy Johnston, following his leadoff single in the fifth, and Johnston later scored on an RBI single from Adael Amador. A bases loaded walk from Liberatore to Jake McCarthy tied the game before, on a throwing error from Leo Bernal, Colorado took the lead as Ezequiel Tovar stole home.
Norby singled to drive in McCarthy in the fifth extending the lead and with two outs TJ Rumfield hit an RBI double to cap the scoring in the fifth, bringing home Norby. St. Louis managed to cut the Rockies lead to one in the sixth, Nolan Gorman hitting an RBI double to drive in Bernal and Thomas Saggese's sacrifice fly scoring Báez, but in the seventh inning Colorado scored four to pull away again. Tovar and McCarthy scored on a two RBI single from Hunter Goodman and Norby came home with an RBI single by Carrigg, before Goodman scored on a sacrifice bunt by Zac Veen making it 10-5 after seven innings.
In the ninth inning, José Fermín doubled to score Saggese and Herrera hit an RBI single driving in Fermín to end the scoring for the Cardinals. Brennan Bernardino got the win and Jordan Romano got the final two outs for his 15th save for the Rockies. At the plate, Herrera was 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Báez was 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI.
St. Louis and Colorado wrap up their series tomorrow. Boulder native Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA, 118Ks) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.18 ERA, 72Ks) for the Rockies. First pitch is at 2:10pm, coverage begins at 2pm on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
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