Pinch-hitter Brendan Donovan hit a two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the St. Louis Cardinals past the visiting Colorado Rockies 3-2 Monday night.
Thomas Saggese went 3-for-4 with a run and Alec Burleson went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Cardinals, who won for the fifth time in seven games.
St. Louis moved within three games of the New York Mets for the final wild-card slot. Meanwhile, the Rockies’ losing streak reached eight games.
Cardinals starter Mile Mikolas allowed two runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Reliever Kyle Leahy (3-1) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory.
Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar exited the game with a left knee contusion after five innings. He fouled a ball off his leg earlier in the game.
Rockies starter Chase Dollander allowed one run on five hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out five.
Reliever Juan Mejia (1-1) suffered the loss.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Victor Scott II walked, stole second base, and scored on Burleson’s single.
Dollander escaped a fourth-inning jam. Masyn Winn hit a single, took second on a flyout, and advanced to third on Saggese’s single.
After Saggese stole second base, Dollander retired the next two batters.
In the sixth inning, Saggese hit a single and went to third on Pages’ popup double down the first base line. But Saggese was thrown out trying to score on Scott’s bunt.
The Rockies moved ahead 2-1 in the seventh inning. Jordan Beck dropped down a bunt single and advanced on a throwing error. He took third on Mickey Moniak’s single, then scored on Warming Bernabel’s groundout.
Brenton Doyle followed with an RBI single.
The Cardinals regained the lead 3-2 in the eighth inning. Gorman walked with one out, Saggese blooped a single over the infield, and Donovan hit his two-run double.
–Field Level Media
