Harrison Bader's extra-inning slam pushes Cardinals over Rockies

[July 03, 2021]      Harrison Bader hit his first career grand slam to cap a six-run 10th inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Friday night in Denver.

St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Tyler O'Neill (27) is tended to by head athletic trainer Adam Olsen (L) and manager Mike Shildt (8) after being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Yadier Molina homered among his three hits and Tommy Edman had two hits for the Cardinals, with each providing an RBI in the 10th. Alex Reyes (5-2) pitched the last two innings for St. Louis, allowing no hits and no runs.

Elias Diaz homered and doubled and C.J. Cron and Garrett Hampson had two hits each for Colorado.

The Cardinals trailed 3-2 with two outs in the ninth when pinch hitter Jose Rondon tied it with an RBI single. St. Louis won it in the 10th off Yency Almonte (1-2).

Molina put St. Louis ahead with a two-out single, and Edman followed with another single to make it 5-3. Following a double steal, Paul DeJong walked and Bader crushed a ball to left to clear the bases. It was his fifth home run of the season.

The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second when Tyler O'Neill doubled and Molina homered, his eighth of the year.

The Rockies got one back in their half of the second. Charlie Blackmon led off with a double and later scored on Ryan McMahon's groundout.

It stayed 2-1 until the fifth when Diaz hit a leadoff shot to left-center to tie the game. It was his sixth of the season and the fourth straight game he has gone deep.

Colorado went ahead in the sixth. Cardinals starter Johan Oviedo retired the first two batters but McMahon then doubled to the wall in center. Cron hit the next pitch off the top of the scoreboard in right to drive in McMahon and make it 3-2.

Oviedo left for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning still looking for his first major league win. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out two.

St. Louis put the tying run on in the seventh with DeJong's one-out double, but Colorado starter Chi Chi Gonzalez got the next two to end the threat and his night.

Gonzalez allowed two runs on seven hits and didn't walk a batter in his seven innings. He fanned one.

--Field Level Media

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