Tyler O’Neill hit a tiebreaking pinch single in the sixth inning and five St. Louis relievers dominated beginning in the third to lift the Cardinals over the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Wednesday night.
Luke Weaver allowed two runs in 2 2/3 innings before handing off to the Cardinals bullpen. Daniel Poncedeleon followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, and Austin Gomber, Dakota Hudson, Jordan Hicks and Mike Mayers closed it out. Gomber (1-0) got his first career victory with a scoreless inning. Mayers allowed a run in the ninth but struck out three.
Harrison Bader, who had three hits, doubled with one out off Kyle Freeland (9-7) to start the go-ahead rally in the sixth. O’Neill followed with a run-scoring single up the middle, his first pinch hit in nine attempts, to break the 2-all tie. O’Neill was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.
Yadier Molina added a two-run double in the eighth to push the lead to 5-2.
The Rockies scored twice in the third, on hits by Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra.
Paul DeJong cut the deficit in half with an RBI hit in the third. Poncedeleon brought in Yairo Munoz with a groundout to tie it in the fourth.
Freeland gave up three runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked three.
St. Louis has won 17 of its last 21 at home against the Rockies.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: INF DJ LeMahieu will come off the disabled list Thursday and is expected to play in the series finale. LeMahieu has been out since July 21 with a left oblique strain.
Cardinals: INF Kolten Wong will make a rehab start with Class A Peoria on Thursday. He has been out since July 22 with left knee inflammation.
UP NEXT
RHP Antonio Senzatela (4-3, 5.01) will face RHP Miles Mikolas (11-3, 2.83) in the finale of the four-game set Thursday. Senzatela is 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA in two road starts this season. Mikolas has recorded 14 quality starts in 21 starts this season.
