By MATT PIKE
In his second game back from the 60 day injured list, Lars Nootbaar hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals opened up the scoring in the second inning taking a 3-0 lead, the first run coming on an RBI single from Victor Scott II, driving in Alec Burleson with one out and the bases loaded, before Masyn Winn added a two-run single that scored José Fermín and Bryan Torres. The lead would not hold for long though, as the Reds would turn around and tie things up in the top half of the third inning.
Noelvi Marte and Matt McLain walked to lead off the third and later scored on Alec Burleson's fielding error as JJ Bleday's hit went into right field on the error, with the bases loaded, allowing Bleday to reach first. Spencer Steer hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Dane Myers to tie the game. Then in the fourth inning, Cincinnati took the lead as McLain lined his sixth home run of the season to left field to give the Reds a 5-3 lead.
In the fifth inning, Jordan Walker hit a home run to right-center field that just barely cleared the wall for his 16th home run of the season, matching a career-high set in his rookie season in 2023. The home run cut the Reds lead to one run. Then, in the eighth inning, after being walked in the sixth inning coming in as a pinch hitter for Pedro Pagés, Nootbaar stepped to the plate.
Nootbaar made his season debut Friday night after opening the season on the 60-day injured list recovering from surgery on both heels. Fermín singled to open the inning, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Torres before Nootbaar stepped to the plate. On a 2-1 pitch from Sam Moll, Nootbaar lined the ball 433 feet into the right-center field bleachers to put St. Louis ahead 6-5.
George Soriano, improved to 3-0 earning the win, after he pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Riley O’Brien allowed two hits and a walk in the ninth inning but got Sal Stewart to ground out to second with the bases loaded to earn his 16th save in 20 chances this season. The groundout by Stewart came following a crucial challenge from Jimmy Crooks.
With the bases loaded, O'Brien was facing Stewart with a 3-1 count, and threw a pitch that was called a ball. As Stewart began to take off his batting gear to take first base, which would have brough the tying run home, Crooks called for the ABS Challenge, and the call after review was overturned to a strike, making it a 3-2 count. A sinker from O'Brien was then grounded by Stewart to Torres for the out.
At the plate, Walker was 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, also stealing a base. Nootbaar was 1-for-1 with a walk and two RBIs. Fermín was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base.
St. Louis will look for a series sweep as they wrap up their series with Cincinnati tomorrow. Michael McGreevy (3-5, 2.98 ERA, 44K's) takes the mound for the Cardinals in the finale against Rhett Lowder (3-3, 5.40 ERA, 27K's) for the Reds. First pitch will be at 1:15pm, coverage will begin at 1:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.