Jordan Walker’s home run helps Cardinals win, avoid being swept by Phillies

After Cardinals relief pitchers Giovanny Gallegos and John King combined to give up two runs and the lead in the top of the eighth inning, Cardinals rookie outfielder Jordan Walker swatted the 16th home run of his career to break the tie and lift his ballclub into position for a series-ending win.

Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley stranded the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth inning to earn his 11th save of the season, and the Cardinals escaped with a 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Cardinals (66-83) avoided being swept in the series as well as the season series against the Phillies (81-68).

Walker, who became the fourth-youngest player in Cardinals history to collect his 100th career hit on Saturday night, launched a 98-mph 0-1 sinker from Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez 400 feet to left field.

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Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had carried the bulk of the offensive load for most of the game. Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Nolan Arenado went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Catcher Andrew Knizner (2-for-3, one run) also had a multi-hit game.

Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings. He also struck out three batters.

Hudson threw 66 pitches, and he faced each of the top four batters in the Phillies lineup — Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm — three times before he turned the game over to the Cardinals’ relief corps.

All three of the runs Hudson allowed came in the fourth inning, a frame that included a pair of defensive miscues on potential double-play opportunities.

Defense supports Hudson early

Jordan Walker made a diving catch on the first batter of the game to rob Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber of a hit on a ball driven toward the right-field corner. Schwarber’s smash rocketed off the bat with an exit velocity of 115.2 mph. Had Walker’s diving attempt come up empty, Schwarber would easily have had an extra-base hit.

The next two batters of the inning reached. Turner hit a dribbler between the mound and first base, and Turner, one of the fastest players in the majors, beat Hudson’s throw to first base for an infield single. Hudson then walked Bryce Harper to put two men on with one out.

Phillies cleanup hitter Alec Bohm hit a ground ball to shortstop Tommy Edman for an inning-ending double play.

Paul Goldschmidt gets Cardinals started

The Cardinals, who were held one to run Saturday night and stranded 28 men on base in the previous two games of the series, grabbed an early two-run lead on a two-out, two-run double by Goldschmidt in the third inning.

The Cardinals put the first two batters of the inning on base thanks to Edman’s single on the ground up the middle followed by a Knizner infield single to third base. Juniel Querecuto then bunted the ball back to the pitcher, who threw to third base and got the lead runner (after video review) for the first out. Lars Nootbaar hit a fly ball to left field for the second out.

Goldschmidt lined a 1-0 pitch into the right-field corner for a double as Edman and Knizner scored. That extended Goldschmidt’s on-base streak to 13 consecutive games.

Two batters later after an Alec Burleson walk, Arenado added to the lead with a two-out double of his own. Arenado’s double down the left-field line scored Burleson and gave Arenado his 91st RBI of the season.

Turning two outs into three runs

One half inning after the Cardinals took a 3-0 lead, Hudson walked Harper to start the fourth inning and then gave up a single flared into left field by Bohm. The Cardinals seemingly caught a break when Bryson Stott’s bunt attempt popped up toward second baseman Querecuto.

Querecuto let the ball drop in front of him and then threw to first base and recorded one out. The Cardinals had Bohm between first and second base in a rundown. The force out had been eliminated by Querecuto having thrown to first base immediately. While the Cardinals chased Bohm, Harper scored from second base.

Harper continuing around third and heading home drew enough attention from the Cardinals’ defense that Bohm escaped the rundown and advanced to second base with no defender covering the bag.

A potential double-play ball on an apparent failed bunt attempt gave the Phillies their first run and left another runner in scoring position.

Hudson hit the next batter, J.T. Realmuto, with his next pitch. Then Brandon Marsh drew a walk on four pitches. With the bases loaded, Nick Castellanos hit a grounder to shortstop Edman for a potential inning-ending double-play ball.

Edman threw to second for the first out, but Querecuto’s throw to first base bounced in the dirt, and Goldschmidt wasn’t able to snag it. Two runs scored on the play as the Phillies tied the score.

The inning ended with Castellanos getting thrown out at the plate by several strides on a single to left fielder Richie Palacios, who relayed to third baseman Arenado.

Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado take lead back

The Cardinals pulled ahead in the fifth inning on Goldschmidt’s 25th home run of the season. That gave the Cardinals a 4-3 advantage with one out in the fifth inning. Goldschmidt’s 340th career home run tied him with Jack Clark for 105th on Major League Baseball’s all-time leaderboard.

Goldschmidt’s homer, a 406-foot smash to left-center field, started a string of three consecutive hits. Burleson followed with a double to center field and scored on Arenado’s single. Arenado smoked a single (104.4 mph exit velocity) inside the third-base bag that kicked hard off the wall in foul territory and into left field.

Those two runs put Hudson in position to earn a win until the Phillies rallied to tie the score in the top of the eighth inning.

In today’s 10 a.m. “Ten Hochman” video — brought to you by Siteman Cancer Center and Window Nation — Ben Hochman discusses Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina, who a year ago today set the MLB record for starts by a battery. So, should they have a statue together at Busch? Also, a happy birthday shoutout to Bowser from Sha Na Na! And as always, Hochman picks a random St. Louis Cards card from the hat!

Benjamin Hochman STL Sports

A nightly look at the day’s top sports stories, and a first look at the topics St. Louis fans will be talking about tomorrow.