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Sonny Gray celebrated a happy homecoming with six shutout innings, Willson Contreras doubled in a run and scored another, and the St. Louis Cardinals opened a three-game road series with a 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.

Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker also had RBI hits for the Cardinals, who evened their record at 2-2 on a six-game Western swing.

Esteury Ruiz, promoted from Triple-A before the game, had a pinch-hit home run to account for Oakland’s only run in the club’s second loss in its last five games.

Gray (2-0), a 2011 first-round pick who played his first 4 1/2 major league seasons for the A’s, allowed just four hits and did not walk a batter in his third game in Oakland since being dealt to the New York Yankees in July of 2017. He struck out six in improving his record in Oakland to 2-0 since the trade.

Gray never threw a pitch without a lead after Arenado’s two-out single in the top of the first scored Paul Goldschmidt, who had drawn a walk from A’s starter Ross Stripling (0-4).

St. Louis added to its lead and ended Stripling’s night with a two-run sixth. Contreras’ double plated Lars Nootbaar, who had doubled, before Jordan Walker greeted reliever Michael Kelly with a single that scored Contreras.

Stripling worked 5 2/3 innings, charged with three runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out four.

Ruiz’s homer, his first of the season, came leading off the eighth against the third Cardinals pitcher, JoJo Romero. Ruiz, who began the season on the A’s major league roster, was recalled from Las Vegas on Monday when J.D. Davis was placed on the 10-day injured list with a groin strain.

Ryan Helsley worked a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts to complete the win and record his sixth save of the season.

Contreras, Arenado and Masyn Winn had two hits apiece for the Cardinals, who out-hit the hosts 8-5. Five of St. Louis’ eight hits were doubles, including two by Contreras.

Zack Gelof singled twice for the A’s, whose only extra-base hit other than Ruiz’s homer was a double by Abraham Toro.

–Field Level Media