Harrison Bader HR rallies Cardinals past D-backs

[May 02, 2022] Harrison Bader and Nolan Arenado each hit home runs as part of a four-run rally in the seventh inning to lead the host St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-5 victory Sunday over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The teams combined for six home runs Sunday as they ended up splitting the four-game series.

The Cardinals' four-run seventh started with an Andrew Knizner single, followed by a Paul DeJong double off reliever Kyle Nelson. After Brendan Donovan grounded out to score Knizner and cut the deficit to 5-4, Keynan Middleton (0-1) replaced Nelson on the mound.

Bader greeted Middleton with his first home run of the season, scoring DeJong to give St. Louis a 6-5 lead. Arenado hit his sixth home run of the season with two outs.
 

Arenado returned from a one-game suspension Saturday and was hitless in his first three at-bats before the home run. He was suspended for his part in a bench-clearing brawl with the New York Mets last week.

St. Louis reliever Kodi Whitley (2-0) earned the win after recording one out in the seventh inning. Ryan Helsley recorded his first save with two scoreless innings, striking out four with no walks.

Arizona starting pitcher Zach Davies went five innings and allowed three hits and two unearned runs with two strikeouts and a walk.

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Nick Wittgren (30) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Diamondbacks' starters in the last three games in the series -- Madison Bumgarner, Merrill Kelly and Davies -- allowed only one earned run in 17 combined innings (0.53 ERA) with eight hits, eight strikeouts and two walks.

Arizona took a 3-2 lead to the sixth inning following solo home runs by Jordan Luplow in the first inning, Christian Walker in the fourth and Nick Ahmed in the fifth.

Luplow, who had not hit a home run this season before Sunday, gave Arizona a 5-3 lead in the seventh with his second solo shot of the game.

Albert Pujols, starting at first base for the Cardinals for the first time since the 2011 World Series, had an RBI single.

--Field Level Media

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