ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Gorman hit a two-run double to break a fifth-inning tie, Alec Burleson homered and robbed Joey Meneses of a three-run drive and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 9-6 on Saturday night for a doubleheader split.
Lane Thomas’ 10th-inning single led Washington to a 7-5 win in the opener.
St. Louis had a season-high 17 hits in the night game, opening a 4-0 lead in the second before Washington tied the score. Gorman doubled off Amos Willingham (0-1) and scored on Paul DeJong's single for a 7-4 lead.
In a game that started after a 65-minute rain delay, Burleson homered in the second inning and had three hits. He leaped at the left-field wall in the fifth, holding Meneses to a tying sacrifice fly.
St. Louis rookie right fielder Jordan Walker sprinted toward the infield to make a sprawling catch that denied Riley Adams in the eighth.
Dakota Hudson (1-0) allowed four hits in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Nolan Arenado homered in the eighth.
CJ Abrams scored a season-high three runs in the opener and Meneses had two RBIs in a game that was suspended by rain in the third inning on Friday night.
Cardinals starter Steven Matz gave up four runs, four hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He is 0-7 in 12 starts and eight relief appearances this year.
Alex Call and Abrams hit solo homers and Ildemaro Vargas had a two-run double.
Nationals starter Jake Irvin allowed four runs and six hits over three innings, throwing 79 pitches.
In the first game, Thomas broke a 5-5 tie with his single off Jordan Hicks.
Kyle Finnegan (4-3) pitched two innings for the win and Hunter Harvey got his ninth save in 14 chances.
Brendan Donovan hit a three-run homer off Corey Abbott in the fifth and Willson Contreras tied the game 5-5 with a solo homer off Kyle Finnegan in the eighth.
ROSTER MOVES
St. Louis recalled RHP James Naile from Triple-A Memphis and the Nationals recalled utilityman Jake Alu from Triple-A Rochester as their 27th men.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: 3B Jeimer Candelario did not play after bruising a bone in his right thumb Friday night.
Cardinals: OF Tyler O’Neill (left lower back strain) is playing three-straight games at Triple-A Memphis and could return next week. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout Saturday after going 2 for 4 Friday.
UP NEXT
St. Louis RHP Jack Flaherty (6-5, 4.27 ERA) starts Sunday against Nationals RHP Josiah Gray (6-7, 3.41 ERA). Flaherty has not given up a run over 12 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Gray pitched a scoreless inning in Tuesday's All-Star Game and has a 2.20 ERA and 20 strikeouts in his last three starts.
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