Cardinals hold off Rockies after taking 7-0 lead

[August 25, 2018]  Tyler O'Neill homered and drove in two runs, Kolten Wong had three hits and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 7-5 in Denver on Friday night.

Starting pitcher Miles Mikolas also homered, and Carlos Martinez (7-6) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief for St. Louis, which has won four straight.

The Cardinals lead the National League wild-card standings after winning 14 of their last 16 games.

Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon homered for the Rockies, who slipped a game back of the Brewers for the second NL wild card after Milwaukee rallied past Pittsburgh in a wild, 15-inning affair.

St. Louis jumped on starter Antonio Senzatela (4-4) in the second inning. O'Neill led off with a homer for the game's first run. Jedd Gyorko drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Wong's single. Gyorko scored on a passed ball, and Mikolas homered to center -- his second of the season -- to make it 4-0.

St. Louis built on the lead in the fifth on RBI doubles by O'Neill and Gyorko, which ended Senzatela's night. Wong's sacrifice fly made it 7-0.

Senzatela allowed all seven runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Colorado's offense woke up in the bottom of the fifth. Blackmon started things with a two-run homer to right-center field, his 23rd on the season, and Arenado followed one out later with his 31st to left.

Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Gonzalez and Trevor Story singled to put runners on the corners, and second baseman Wong's throwing error on a potential double-play ball kept the inning alive. Ryan McMahon took advantage with an RBI single to make it 7-5 and chase Mikolas.

Mikolas allowed five runs (four earned) on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings and just missed out on getting the win.

The Rockies loaded the bases in the eighth inning, but Gonzalez grounded out to end the threat. They put runners on first and third in the ninth before closer Bud Norris earned his 27th save by getting DJ LeMahieu to hit into a force play to end the game.

--Field Level Media

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