The St Louis Cardinals are leaving Boston empty-handed after losing both contests to the Red Sox on Sunday, April 6, including an extra-innings loss that has the Redbirds without a crucial bat for the next ten days.
In the first game, which was pushed back from Saturday because of inclement weather, the Cardinals allowed two Red Sox runs in the ninth and the walk-off winner in the tenth in a 5-4 loss. The game was tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth when Pedro Pagés struck a sharp line drive to center field that scored Victor Scott II and Masyn Winn for a two-out double. That gave Ryan Helsley an opportunity to claim his third save of the year. However, Helsley struggled through his inning of work, walking the first two batters, allowing one of them to score on a Romy Gonzalez double, then walking two more batters that resulted in extra innings. Ryan Fernandez took the loss for the Cardinals, giving up the RBI single to Wilyer Abreu that scored Alex Bregman from second.
Aroldis Chapman picked up the win for Boston, recording two strikeouts in the tenth while allowing just one walk. Cardinals starter Andre Pallante went 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while fanning six.
Pagés went two-for-four with three RBIs to lead the Cardinals offense, stepping in for Iván Herrera after the catcher appeared to injure himself on the basepath in the third inning. Herrera is expected to go on the 10-day disabled list Monday with knee irritation.
The nightcap went worse for the Cardinals, who scored the first run of the game but allowed Boston to score the next ten, en route to an 18-7 loss. Brendan Donovan doubled in Willson Contreras to give the Cardinals their only lead, only for the Red Sox to score one in the first, five in the second, and four in the third. The Cardinals clawed one back with a Masyn Winn single, but Boston responded with another run in the fifth, five in the sixth, and two in the seventh. Thomas Saggese recorded four of the Cardinals’ remaining runs, with sacrifice fly in the seventh, followed by a three-run home run over Fenway’s fabled Green Monster.
Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman each had four hits off Cardinals pitching, while Donovan recorded three hits to lead Saint Louis. Miles Mikolas only last 2.2 innings in the loss, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 11 hits and one walk, striking out just one.
The losses drop St Louis to 4-5 on the season, currently third in the NL Central. The Cardinals will face a National League opponent for the first time this season when they visit PNC Park to open a three-game series against the Pirates. First pitch Monday is at 5:40 p.m.