Cardinals edge Royals in 11-inning thriller as Marmol ties Torre
Manager Oliver Marmol reaches 351st career victory, tying Joe Torre for ninth in club history, while Kansas City slips to the bottom of the AL Central.
The St Louis Cardinals secured a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals in an 11-inning contest at Busch Stadium on Friday night, extending their recent dominance in extra-inning matchups. The win was sealed by a walk-off single from Yohel Pozo in the bottom of the 11th inning, marking the Cardinals' fourth walk-off victory of the season. Manager Oliver Marmol recorded his 351st career win, tying Hall of Famer Joe Torre for ninth place in club history.
Pozo’s hit was his first in seven pinch-hit at-bats this season, an opposite-field, two-out single to right field off pitcher Steven Cruz, who fell to a 0-1 record. The Cardinals had struggled with efficiency in critical moments, standing at 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position prior to Pozo’s hit. The excitement of the moment was such that Pozo initially did not run hard up the line and had to be urged on by teammates due to a possible force play.
The atmosphere at Busch Stadium had been building since the ninth inning, when approximately 100 fans in the right-field seats began celebrating shirtless, twirling their shirts and chanting to support the team. This fan engagement coincided with a game that featured multiple lead changes and clutch performances from key players.
Jordan Walker was instrumental in the Cardinals' offensive output, recording three hits including his 13th home run, and is currently batting .309. Walker’s home run in the bottom of the fourth inning off former Cardinal Michael Wacha tied the score after the Royals had taken a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning via Carter Jensen’s RBI double and Isaac Collins’ sacrifice fly. Pedro Pagés then gave St Louis a 3-2 lead in the fifth with a home run against Wacha.
Kansas City’s struggles continued as they dropped into the AL Central cellar, having lost five consecutive games and seven of their last nine. Despite a go-ahead double by Bobby Witt Jr. in the 10th inning against Ryne Stanek, and an RBI single by Alec Burleson off Lucas Erceg to tie the score in the bottom of the 10th, the Royals could not hold the advantage. Michael Wacha (4-2) allowed three runs and recorded five strikeouts in six innings for Kansas City, while Dustin May (3-4) gave up three runs in six innings for St Louis. The teams will meet again on Saturday with Noah Cameron scheduled to start for Kansas City against Kyle Leahy.
