PHOENIX β Yadier Molina had an RBI double in the 10th inning that led the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 win on Thursday night over the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have lost 11 straight games.
The 38-year-old Molina ripped a one-out double down the left field line, just out of the reach of a diving Eduardo Escobar. The hit scored Paul Goldschmidt, who started the inning on second base. Daniel Ponce de Leon pitched a scoreless 10th for his first save of the season.
The Cardinals won despite blowing a 4-0 lead. Carlos Martinez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Tyler O'Neill hit a two-run homer in his return from the injured list.
The Diamondbacks clawed their way back with a big seventh. The first six batters reached base β punctuated by Pavin Smith's two-run double β and they cut the deficit to 4-3. Smith came up big again in the eighth, driving a tying double into the left-center gap that scored Ketel Marte.
Martinez was brilliant through six innings but ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing three straight hits and getting pulled from the game after David Peralta's RBI double. He struck out six and allowed three earned runs.
GΓ©nesis Cabrera relieved Martinez but allowed all three batters he faced to reach base, including Smith's two-run double, which cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-3. Ryan Helsley came up big for St. Louis to hold it at 4-3, pumping 99 mph fastballs past Carson Kelly and Andy Young before Josh Rojas hit a harmless groundout to second base.
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado tags out Arizona Diamondbacks' Josh Rojas (10) trying to advance in the fourth inning during a baseball game, Thursday, May 27, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Smith tied the game in the eighth, which meant Molina's big double in the 10th was needed for the win.
O'Neill crushed a 451-foot homer to center field in his first at-bat since a fracture in his left middle finger kept him out of the lineup for nearly two weeks. The ball bounced off the scoreboard in center, which is high above the 413-foot sign.
Martinez retired the first nine batters he faced, including six strikeouts. He didn't allow a baserunner until Rojas led off the fourth with a walk.
Arizona's Jon Duplantier was moved into a starting role on Thursday after Matt Peacock was scratched because of non-COVID-19 illness. It was the 26-year-old's first appearance in the big leagues since 2019, when he made 15 appearances, including three starts.
The right-hander got off to a good start, striking out leadoff hitter Tommy Edman on three pitches. But he ran into trouble in the second, giving up O'Neill's long homer and walking Goldschmidt with the bases loaded.
Alex Reyes (3-1) got the win with a scoreless ninth. Stefan Crichton (0-4) gave up Molina's double in the 10th.
ROTATING ROTATION
Duplantier was the 11th D-backs pitcher to start on the mound in 51 games this season. Three of the team's main starters β Zac Gallen, Luke Weaver and Taylor Widener β are on the injured list. Only Madison Bumgarner and Merrill Kelly have taken every turn in the rotation this season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: OβNeill (left middle finger fracture) was activated from the 10-day injured list. INF John Nogowski was optioned Triple-A Memphis. O'Neill started, played left field and batted sixth in the lineup.
Diamondbacks: Weaver (strained shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list. Manager Torey Lovullo said on Wednesday that Weaver wouldn't throw for at least four weeks and would then be re-evaluated. ... RHP Corbin Martin was optioned to Triple-A Reno and LHP Ryan Buchter was called up to replace him on the roster.
UP NEXT
The D-backs will send Bumgarner (4-4, 4.53) to the mound on Friday to face Cardinals RHP Johan Oviedo (0-2, 5.74 ERA)
