Five-run seventh helps Cardinals top Tigers

[September 10, 2018]  St. Louis offense erupted for five seventh-inning runs as the Cardinals salvaged the finale of a three-game series, 5-2, over the host Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon.

Gant (7-5) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six. Carlos Martinez got the last three outs for his second save.

Carson Kelly had two hits and an RBI, and Paul DeJong added two hits and scored a run. St. Louis lost the first two games of the series in walk-off fashion.

Detroit starter Michael Fulmer (3-11) was perfect through five but was charged with five runs, three earned, on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Nicholas Castellanos had two hits and a run scored.

Fulmer was in a groove from the start, striking out Matt Carpenter looking. He recorded back-to-back strikeouts on Jose Martinez and Matt Adams to end the fourth and whiffed Marcell Ozuna in the fifth.

The perfect game bid ended when he walked Yairo Munoz on a 3-2 pitch. Munoz was caught stealing on a pitchout, which proved to be a big play.

Fulmer also walked the next batter, and the no-hit bid ended when Kelly singled to right. But Fulmer responded by retiring Carpenter and Martinez on fly balls.

Gant quietly kept the Tigers at bay, giving up just two hits in the first six innings -- a double to Castellanos in the first and a bunt single to Niko Goodrum in the fourth.

Cardinals left fielder Marcell Ozuna (23) receives congratulations from center fielder Yairo Munoz (34) after scoring in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Fulmer struck out Adams to open the seventh, but the Cardinals suddenly got hot. Ozuna and DeJong reached on infield singles, and Kolten Wong hit another one to left field, bringing in Ozuna. Munoz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Kelly's RBI infield single ended Fulmer's day. Victor Alcantara replaced him and gave up Carpenter's sacrifice fly and Martinez's run-scoring single.

The Tigers responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Castellanos led off with a double and scored on a pair of groundouts, the second giving Mahtook an RBI. James McCann and Ronny Rodriguez followed with back-to-back doubles for the second run.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.