JJ Wetherholt hit two of the St. Louis Cardinals’ four home runs Sunday, helping the visitors stave off the Kansas City Royals 12-10 to avoid a sweep in the three-game series.
Sunday’s slugfest featured a total of 28 hits, including eight home runs. Neither starting pitcher made it to the third inning, as 14 pitchers took the mound.
The Cardinals’ first three batters in the lineup each went 3-for-5. Wetherholt scored three times and drove in three runs. Ivan Herrera hit a three-run homer, scored three times and Alec Burleson had an RBI and two runs scored along with his three hits.
Masyn Winn’s three-run homer capped the Cardinals’ five-run first, with the shortstop driving in four while going 2-for-5. Lars Nootbaar finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored as the Cardinals got a season-high 16 hits to end their three-game skid.
Jac Caglianone (2-for-3) hit two homers for the Royals, who saw their win streak end at three. Carter Jensen (2-for-3) and Nick Loftin (1-for-4) also homered. Caglianone knocked in three, while Michael Massey (3-for-5) and Loftin had two RBIs apiece.
Both Caglianone and Jensen scored three times.
Wetherholt knocked the third pitch of the game from Royals starter Stephen Kolek (4-2) beyond the wall in right-center to give St. Louis a lead it would not relinquish. The rookie also homered off Kolek, a two-run shot, as part of a four-run second inning.
Kolek entered Sunday with a 2.68 ERA, allowing 15 earned runs (18 total) in 50 1/3 innings. He faced 15 batters in 1 2/3 innings. Nine scored, all earned, as nine got hits, one walked and one was hit by a pitch.
Kansas City hitters tried to keep up as Massey’s two-run single off Cardinals starter Dustin May made it 5-2. Loftin and Caglianone both added two-run homers in the second to cut the deficit to 9-6.
May, who pitched a one-hit shutout in his last start, allowed six runs on six hits in two innings. Gordon Graceffo (5-1), the fourth of eight St. Louis pitchers, pitched a perfect fifth to get the win.
Herrera’s three-run homer came in the fifth off Steven Cruz to make it 12-7.
Caglianone led off the ninth with a solo shot off Riley O’Brien, and Lane Thomas hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Salvador Perez. Kansas City had the game-winning run come to the plate twice, but O’Brien ended the threat.
