ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina drove in three runs in his return from the injured list, Paul Goldschmidt homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 9-8.
The game was a back and forth between the teams with Colorado taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. St. Louis scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to go up on the Rockies.
Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez (3-4) wound up winning his third straight start. He allowed five runs on six hits and five walks in five innings.
Raimel Tapia hit an RBI double off Giovanny Gallegos in the eighth to cut the Rockies’ deficit to 9-6.
Alex Reyes entered and walked Trevor Story before giving up a two-run single to Charlie Blackmon, marking the first earned run allowed by the reliever in 15 2/3 innings this season. Blackmon advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw from Reyes before Garrett Hampson lined out to end the inning.
”It was good to see some offense on the road,” Blackmon said. ”I felt like we had some really competitive at-bats all the way down the order. It could have easily been a good win.”
Rockies starter Chi Chi Gonzalez (1-1) gave up seven runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. He has allowed 13 runs in 13 2/3 innings over his last three starts.
”Those looked to be in the middle, middle away. There were some balls up the middle. There were some opposite-field hits. That tells me the ball wasn’t really getting to the corners,” manager Bud Black said.
Goldschmidt also had three RBIs and Nolan Arenado hit another double against his former team. The Cardinals have won eight straight and 14 of their last 15 games against Colorado at Busch Stadium.
Molina hadn’t played since April 26 because of a strained tendon in his right foot. The All-Star catcher was leading the Cardinals in batting, homers and RBIs when he was hurt.