Fans gathered to sing, dance, and get excited for the St. Louis Cardinals first home game of the season April 4, 2024. Video by Allie Schallert, aschallert@post-dispatch.com
ST. LOUIS — A five-run seventh inning that included clutch hits by rookie catcher Ivan Herrera and second baseman Nolan Gorman lifted the Cardinals to their third win in four games as they opened a six-game homestand with a come-from-behind victory against the Miami Marlins.
Herrera’s RBI single to center field drove in the Cardinals’ first run of the inning and pulled the Cardinals within a run, while Gorman’s two-run double put them ahead for good on the way to an 8-5 win in front of an announced sellout crowd of 47,273 for the home opener Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals improved to 4-4, while the Marlins, managed by former Cardinals player and coach Skip Schumaker, remained winless and fell to 0-8.
Herrera went 2 for 5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Nolan Arenado went 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. Gorman (1 for 3, walk) drove in those two crucial runs in the seventh inning.
Cardinals rookie shortstop Masyn Winn also had two hits and an RBI.
The five-run seventh inning matched the Cardinals' season-high for runs scored in an inning — they scored five in the seventh inning of their win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday — and gave Giovanny Gallegos his first home win since June 12, 2022.
Gallegos retired the only batter he faced to finish the top of the seventh inning. Cardinals relief pitchers allowed just one run in 4â…“ innings. Andre Pallante, JoJo Romero, Ryan Helsley and Gallegos each turned in scoreless outings. Helsley earned his second save of the season.
Solo Burger and slicks escape
The Marlins’ first run of the day came courtesy of St. Louis native Jake Burger’s fourth-inning solo home run into the visiting bullpen beyond the outfield wall in left-center field against Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn.
Burger, a 2014 graduate Christian Brothers College High School, came into the day having batted .300 (3 for 10) with a double and a home run in nine previous games against the Cardinals. He played collegiately at Missouri State, where he was a first-team All-American per Baseball America and was named the MVC defensive player of the year in 2015.
Burger’s home run led off the fourth inning and tied the score 1-1. The Marlins put two more men on base in the inning. Jazz Chisolm Jr. reached on a bunt single to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt when Lynn didn’t break to cover first base.
The Marlins put runners on first and third when Jesus Sanchez singled to right-center field to give the Marlins two men on with just one out. However, Lynn struck out Tim Anderson and Nick Gordon swinging to strand the runners and keep the score tied.
Bell rings for Lynn
The Marlins grabbed a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning thanks to a pair of one-out home runs. The first came when Josh Bell blasted a 3-2 cutter over the center field wall for a two-run home run. Bell’s first home run of the season gave the Marlins their first lead of the game.
The next batter, Burger, followed with his second home run of the game when he clubbed a 1-0 pitch from Lynn into the left field stands.
Lynn got Marlins designated hitter Bryan De La Cruz to ground out to Winn for the second out of the inning. That marked the end of Lynn’s outing. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore entered the game and recorded the final out on a fly ball to right field. Jordan Walker made a leaping catch at the wall in right field on a ball hit by Sanchez to end the inning.
Lynn exited his first home-opening start for the Cardinals after having allowed four runs on eight hits and one walk. Three of the hits he allowed were home runs, and he also struck out seven batters in 4â…” innings.
Cardinals take advantage
The Cardinals scored two runs on just one hit in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it a one-run game, 4-3.
Michael Siani reached on a hit by pitch and then advanced all the way to third base when Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez fielded a grounder hit by center fielder Victor Scott II and threw errantly in an attempt to cut down the lead runner Siani.
Instead, Arraez’s throw caromed into left field. Siani went to third base and Scott to second on the play. Siani scored on a Goldschmidt groundout, and Scott scored from second on an Arenado RBI double.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they gave a run back in the top of the sixth when Anderson singled, stole second base, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on a wild pitch.
Entering the day, Cardinals opponents had been safe on all five stolen base attempts through the first seven games. The Marlins recorded three stolen bases without getting thrown out Thursday.
It was unlikely Nolan Arenado was going to go an entire season with a .467 OPS. But it was fair to wonder when he would string together some p…
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (31) reacts to striking out Miami Marlins left fielder Nick Gordon (1) to end the fourth inning of the Cardinals home opener against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, April, 4, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Cardinals designated hitter Alec Burleson hits an RBI single off Marlins relief pitcher Andrew Nardi, scoring second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) in the seventh inning Thursday, April, 4, 2024, at Busch Stadium.