Tommy Edman delivers big blow as Cardinals down Twins

[July 31, 2021]    Tommy Edman drove in three runs to lift the St. Louis Cardinals over the visiting Minnesota Twins 5-1 Friday night.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Miguel Sano (22) is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Starting pitcher Wade LeBlanc held the Twins to one run on six hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings, while striking out three.

Ryan Helsley (6-4) earned the victory in relief by recording four outs for the Cardinals, who won for the eighth time in their last 12 games.

The Twins dealt starting pitcher Jose Berrios to the Toronto Blue Jays before Friday's trade deadline, so Griffin Jax stepped up from Triple-A St. Paul to replace him.

In his third major league start, the right-hander Jax held the Cardinals to one run on two hits and two walks in five innings, adding a pair of strikeouts while throwing 83 pitches. But reliever Tyler Duffey (2-3) took the loss for the Twins, who fell for the 11th time in 15 games.

The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Miguel Sano walked with one out, moved up on a groundout and scored on Andrelton Simmons' single.

Willians Astudillo led off the fourth inning with a double that Cardinals right fielder Dylan Carlson lost in the lights. Sano walked and Simmons hit a one-out single to load the bases. But Jax flied out and Jorge Polanco grounded out to strand them

In the bottom of the inning, Tyler O'Neill hit a single, stole second base, took third on a lineout to right field and scored on Harrison Bader's sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.

Astudillo reached on an infield single leading off the sixth inning and raced to third on Simmons' two-out single. But pinch hitter Max Kepler struck out to leave runners on the corners.

Paul Goldschmidt lined a lead-off single against Duffey in the bottom of the frame for his 1,500th career hit. One out later O'Neill drew a walk, Bader reached on a two-out infield single to load the bases, and Edman cleared them with a double down the right field line.

The Cardinals pushed their lead to 5-1 in the seventh inning when Goldschmidt hit a double and scored on Nolan Arenado's single.

--Field Level Media

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