By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The St. Louis Cardinals battled back and forth with the Los Angeles Angels, but fell in extra innings, losing 5-4 in 10 innings on Monday night at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals did hold the lead for most of the game, with solo home runs by Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan, the first home run off a left handed pitcher in his career, in the first and second innings respectively. The Angels narrowed the gap in the third inning, a sacrifice fly by Taylor Ward scoring Kyren Paris, but St. Louis extended the lead again in the fifth with an RBI single from Nolan Arenado driving in Nootbaar, putting the Redbirds up 3-1 through five innings.
Over the next two innings though, the Angels tied the game up, first getting a sacrifice fly by Mike Trout that scored Ward in the sixth. In the seventh, a triple by Paris drove in Luis Rengifo, making it a brand new ballgame.
Los Angeles would not strike again though until the top of the tenth inning, getting the two runs they needed against Cardindals reliever Jo Jo Romero. Rengifo began the inning as the ghost runner at second, and Romero walked Paris. After a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Newman advanced both runners and Romero intentionally walked Ward, Nolan Schanuel reached first on a fielders choice scoring Rengifo, but no out was recorded.
With one out, Trout flew out and hit a sacrifice fly into a double play, but still drove in a run, Schanuel getting thrown out at second and Paris scoring, pushing the lead to 5-3. St. Louis could manage just one run in the bottom half, a sacrfice fly by Victor Scott II scoring Pedro Pagés.
Romero took the loss in relief, pitching one inning and giving up two runs, just one earned, walking two but giving up no hits. Miles Mikolas in his season debut starting pitched 5.1 innings giving up two hits and two runs, striking out three batters and walking two.
Nootbaar (2-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI), Luken Baker (2-4), Jordan Walker (2-4), and Scott II (2-3, 1 RBI) led the way hitting for the Cardinals in the loss.
St. Louis and Los Angeles will be back in action tomorrow. Matthew Liberatore will start for the Cardinals against Kyle Hendricks for the Angels. First pitch will be at 6:45pm with pregame at 5:50 on KY 102 (102.5FM).
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.