WASHINGTON (AP) — Brendan Donovan and Paul Goldschmidt hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to beat the Washington Nationals 8-6 in a Juneteenth matinee on Monday.
Donovan's three-run shot to right-center off Josiah Gray (4-6) tied the game 5-all, and Goldschmidt put the Cardinals ahead to stay when he lined a hanging curveball from Gray over the wall in left.
The Cardinals (30-43) won their third straight since falling a season-worst 16 games under .500, but they have their worst record through 73 games since 1990. St. Louis has only had one losing season since 2000, and manager Oliver Marmol said before the game his last-place team still expects to win the NL Central.
Jack Flaherty (4-5) gave up five runs on eight hits before getting five outs, but rediscovered his form and and pitched into the seventh inning. The right-hander, who came in leading the majors in walks with 43, issued his only walk in the seventh. His outing ended one batter later when he hit Lane Thomas with a pitch. Flaherty gave up six runs for the second consecutive start but won for the first time since May 15.
Génesis Cabrera got the final two outs in the seventh, Giovanny Gallegos worked the eighth and Jordan Hicks got three outs for his third save in three days while a big contingent of Cardinals fans stood and cheered behind their dugout.
Luis García drove in four runs and Thomas doubled twice for the Nationals, who lost their fourth straight and fell to 3-12 in June. Washington could have done even more damage against Flaherty in the first two innings if not for two runners being thrown out on the bases.
St. Louis rookie Jordan Walker lined the first pitch he saw from Gray to center field for a single, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. The 21-year-old finished 2 for 4 and matched the 12-game hit streak he had to start his career from March 30 to April 12. Walker has raised his batting average from .253 to .302 during the streak.
The Cardinals began their rally in the third when Paul DeJong led off with a single and Tommy Edman hit a deep fly that glanced off the glove of backtracking center fielder Victor Robles for a triple. Goldschmidt’s RBI single got St. Louis within 5-2.
Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras had run-scoring singles in the seventh to pad the Cardinals' lead.
Gray allowed a season-worst six runs in five innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: Activated OF Lars Nootbaar (lower back contusion) from the 10-day injured list. He had missed 16 games. Nootbaar played right field and went 0 for 4 with a walk. ... 1B Lucien Baker was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. ... C Iván Herrera was added to the taxi squad. ... LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain) will have season-ending surgery on June 26. Marmol declined to detail the procedure but said it would not be Tommy John surgery.
Nationals: 3B Jeimer Candelario was back in the lineup after missing Sunday's loss to Miami with a bone bruise on his right thumb.
UP NEXT
The series continues Tuesday night with Cardinals LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-7, 3.91 ERA) opposing LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-5, 3.74).
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