Arenado's game-ending 3-run homer in 10th lifts Cardinals to 5-2 win over Marlins
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado is congratulated by first base coach Stubby Clapp (82) after hitting a walk-off home run off Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Puk to defeat the Marlins 5-2 during the 10th inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in St. Louis. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
ST. LOUIS — Nolan Arenado’s three-run homer in the 10th inning lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-2 win over the slumping Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.
Arenado’s homer off A.J. Puk (4-4) was his first game-ending homer since Aug. 14, 2019 and the fourth of his career.
JoJo Romero (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th for the Cardinals, who have won four straight games.
The Marlins have lost five straight, matching a season high from May 2-6.
Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery threw 92 pitches in his first appearance since a July 7 start was cut short by right hamstring tightness. He allowed one run and six hits, struck out five and walked two.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera was dominant in his return from the 15-day injured list as he recovered from a right shoulder impingement felt at Seattle on June 13. Cabrera, who was on a pitch count, went five-plus innings, allowed just one run on two hits. He struck out five and walked three.
Jon Berti had three hits and scored twice for the Marlins.
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado hits a walk-off home run to defeat the Miami Marlins 5-2 during the 10th inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in St. Louis. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
Cabrera didn't allow a hit through our innings before Alec Burleson led off the fifth with an infield single and the only hard hit ball he allowed came on his last pitch of the night on Brendan Donovan’s 388-foot homer to lead off the sixth.
Berti led off the fifth with a triple and scored on Luis Arraez’s sacrifice fly.
Donovan tied it 1-1 with his career-high 11th homer.
Berti led off the seventh with a single and scored on a Jorge Soler single. Nolan Gorman’s double in the bottom half scored Dylan Carlson from first to tie the game at 2-all.
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado is congratulated by teammates Willson Contreras, left, Nolan Gorman, second from left, and Andrew Knizner, right, after hitting a three-run walk-off home run during the 10th inning of a baseball game to defeat the Miami Marlins 5-2 Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in St. Louis. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
Montgomery was able to pitch out of a two-on jam in the second, aided by a diving catch by centerfielder Lars Nootbaar to rob Dane Myers of a potential run scoring hit.
Nootbaar’s hitting streak ended at 11 games, but he walked in the first to reach safely in 15 straight, which ties a career best set last season.
ROSTER MOVE
The Marlins optioned LHP Robert Garcia to Triple-A Jacksonville to make room for Cabrera on the roster.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF Avisaíl García (left back tightness) began a rehab assignment at Double-A Pensacola on Tuesday.
Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (right shoulder irritation) and RHP Ryan Helsley (forearm strain) threw off a mound Tuesday. UTL Tommy Edman (right wrist inflammation) will swing the bat on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
The Marlins will send RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-8, 4.64 ERA) in the series finale against the Cardinals on Wednesday. Alcantara is 1-3 with 1.24 ERA in five career starts against his former team. St. Louis has not yet named a starter.
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