The St. Louis Cardinals roared back from an early deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 14-7 in the second game of a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday, splitting the series after a narrow 2-1 loss in the opener.
⚾ Cardinals’ Power Surge Downs Phillies
Alec Burleson led the charge with a home run, three hits, and four RBIs. He was joined by Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn, who also homered off struggling Phillies ace Aaron Nola.
Nola (1-7) had one of the worst outings of his career, surrendering 9 runs and 12 hits in just 3 2/3 innings—his highest hit count in 11 MLB seasons.
🔥 Key Performers for the Cardinals
- Masyn Winn: 4 hits, 3 RBIs
- Brendan Donovan: 3 hits, 1 RBI
- Lars Nootbaar: 1 HR, 2 RBIs
- Wilson Contreras: 2 RBIs
- Chris Roycroft: Winning pitcher with 1.1 innings of relief (1-2)
Despite a shaky start from Sonny Gray (3 2/3 IP, 7 ER), the Cardinals exploded offensively with 19 total hits, overcoming a 5-1 first-inning deficit.
💥 Phillies’ First-Inning Fireworks Not Enough
The Phillies struck early with five runs in the first inning, including a two-run double by Nick Castellanos and a two-run homer by J.T. Realmuto. Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber also homered later in the game.
Schwarber’s blast marked his 15th of the season, keeping him tied atop the MLB home run leaderboard with Aaron Judge.
🎯 Game-Changing Moment
The turning point came in the fourth inning when Burleson ripped a two-out, two-run single off Phillies reliever Tanner Banks, giving the Cardinals a 9-6 lead—a lead they would not relinquish.
🔄 What’s Next
Cardinals: Head to Kansas City for a three-game set. Andre Pallante (3-2, 4.36 ERA) takes the mound against Royals LHP Cole Ragans (2-2, 4.20 ERA) on Friday.
Phillies: Return home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ranger Suarez (1-0, 5.91 ERA) will start against Andrew Heaney (2-3, 3.15 ERA).
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For official box scores and highlights, visit MLB.com.
