Winn homers, drives in 4 runs as Cardinals top Rockies 7-3

 

[September 25, 2024]  By MICHAEL KELLY

DENVER (AP) — Masyn Winn homered, doubled and drove in four runs, Lars Nootbaar scored twice, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 on Tuesday night.

St. Louis rallied to spoil the beginning of the last homestand of Charlie Blackmon’s career with a run in the seventh and four in the eighth. Blackmon tripled and doubled.

Blackmon, who announced he will retire at the end of the season, received a standing ovation when he led off the bottom of the first before getting hit by Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy.

His triple in the fifth gave Colorado a 3-2 lead. It was the 68th of his career, the most in franchise history, but the lead didn’t hold up after starter Ryan Feltner left the game one pitch into the seventh inning with cramping in his pitching arm.

“It was pretty much the whole front side of my arm, just tightness,” Feltner said of his right arm. “It was compounding over the course of the game. Nothing crazy.”

The Cardinals tied it in the seventh when Colorado’s mistake on a comebacker to reliever Victor Vodnik loaded the bases, and Nootbaar scored from third on shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s wild relay throw on a potential inning-ending double play.

“It was a crazy play and worked out our way,” St. Louis manager Oli Marmol said of the comebacker.

The Cardinals scored four runs in the eighth of Angel Chivilli (1-3) on RBI singles by Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II and Winn’s two-run double.

The rookie shook off a minor injury to drive in a season-high four runs.

“I was in the cages and took a weird swing earlier and kind of tweaked my triceps,” Winn said. “I wanted to be in there, especially getting towards the end of this thing. I want to be out there and compete and play as much as I can.”

Andrew Kittredge (5-5) pitched the seventh inning for the win.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan, back, throws over Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings after forcing him out at second base on a double play hit into by Jordan Beck in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

McGreevy escaped the first loss of his career when St. Louis tied it in the seventh. He allowed three runs on four hits in the second start and third appearance of his career. His ERA rose from 0.90 to 2.40.

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the third on Winn’s two-run homer, his 15th of the season.

“Feltner threw the ball well,” manager Bud Black said. “He got stronger as the game went on but unfortunately he started cramping.”

Aaron Schunk’s second home run of the season, a solo shot in bottom of the third, made it 2-1, and the Rockies tacked on two more in the fifth. Schunk’s dribbler to third drove in Sam Hilliard and Blackmon hit his team-leading fifth triple to center.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: 2B Brendan Rodgers was out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. Black said it was a nagging injury and considers Rodgers day to day.

UP NEXT

The Cardinals will send RHP Erick Fedde (8-9, 3.38 ERA) to the mound against former St. Louis LHP Austin Gomber (5-11, 4.67) in the second of the three-game series on Wednesday night.

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