Royals squeak by Cardinals after lengthy rain delay

[August 10, 2021]   Nicky Lopez hit the game-winning single in the ninth inning to lift the visiting Kansas City Royals past the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 Sunday.

St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux (35) speaks with St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) during the fourth inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports

Lopez drove in Jarrod Dyson shortly after a 2-hour, 10-minute rain delay interrupted the ninth.

Hunter Dozier went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored for the Royals, who avoided a three-game sweep and finished their nine-game trip with a 3-6 record.

Dylan Carlson went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs for the Cardinals, who ended their nine-game home stand with a 4-5 mark.

Royals starter Kris Bubic limited the Cardinals to one run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, but he walked four and hit two others.

Reliever Scott Barlow (4-3) got the victory and Richard Lovelady earned his first career save.

Cardinals starter Jon Lester allowed five runs on six hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. Alex Reyes (5-5) took the loss.

Carlson put the Cardinals up 1-0 with his first-inning homer, but the Royals countered in the fourth.

Carlos Santana and Dozier hit singles and Lester hit Edward Olivares with a pitch. Michael A. Taylor's RBI single and Hanser Alberto's run-scoring force out put the Royals up 2-1.

They boosted their lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning. Whit Merrifield drew a walk, moved up on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on Salvador Perez's sacrifice fly.

The Royals made it 5-1 in the sixth inning. Dozier's double, Taylor's single and St. Louis left fielder Tyler O'Neill's throwing error led to one run. Ryan O'Hearn's RBI single produced another.

The Cardinals got one run back in the seventh. Jose Rondon hit a single, advanced on a wild pitch, took third on a grounder and scored on Paul Goldschmidt's single.

They tied the game 5-5 in the eighth inning. Harrison Bader hit a single, Andrew Knizner drew a walk and Matt Carpenter was hit by a pitch.

Carlson's sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado tied the game.

But another mistake cost the Cardinals in the ninth. After Alberto's single, Goldschmidt's throwing error on Dyson's grounder put runners on second and third before the rain delay, leading to Lopez' eventual go-ahead RBI.

--Field Level Media

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