KANSAS CITY — Stung by the big inning through the opening two games of the I-70 Series, the Cardinals showed the Royals on Sunday afternoon that two can play at that game.
St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak in authoritative fashion with a five-run outburst in the first inning and a four-run rally in the second en route to a 12-10 victory at Kauffman Stadium. JJ Wetherholt was the common denominator in the quick-strike offense with a leadoff homer to open the game and then a two-run shot off Kansas City starter Stephen Kolek in the second.
It marked only the 12th time in Cardinals history that a player has had two homers through the first two innings of a game. Wetherholt became the first Cardinal leadoff hitter to homer in his first two at-bats since Matt Carpenter in 2018.
After a 3-for-5 afternoon, Wetherholt finds himself heading home for a seven-game homestand with a .268 batting average and 12 home runs in his rookie season.
“Two homers today, and the at-bats he is taking are super professional,” manager Oliver Marmol said of Wetherholt. “I love where he is physically and mentally right now.”
Despite putting up nine runs through two innings, the Cards were on a slippery slope by the fourth as the Royals jumped all over starter Dustin May, who lasted just two innings and allowed six runs. Kansas City closed within 9-7 before Iván Herrera turned the momentum back in St. Louis’ favor with a three-run homer in the fifth.
With the ball flying at Kauffman, Marmol mixed and matched with his bullpen and the Cardinals were able to salvage the finale of the three-game set against their cross-state Missouri rivals.
While the Cards’ offense was the name of the game, St. Louis also sprinkled in a defensive gem as right fielder Jordan Walker robbed Salvador Perez of a potential home run in the seventh by leaping at the right-field wall and catching the ball in acrobatic fashion.
The Cardinals had a rare Saturday off in Kansas City due to the World Cup next door and some of the players were able to attend the Ecuador vs. Curaçao contest. It was an opportunity for the ballclub to reset mentally after losing three in a row and six of nine.
Wetherholt set the tone leading off the game with his homer to right-center and then he lofted a Kolek offering over the left-field wall in the second while getting some help from the wind.
“I’ve hit a bunch of those this year, where you hit it hard but just get under it,” Wetherholt said. “Usually, they are caught, but that one just kept going and I was happy. You take what you can get.”
Still, the Cardinals couldn’t breathe easy because the Royals, who wound up scoring 30 runs in the three-game series, kept chipping away. Kansas City had some serious momentum in the fifth, when Herrera provided a second push with his three-run homer off Steven Cruz.
“We talk about it all the time. When the ball is flying, it’s important to get more and more [runs],” Wetherholt said. “Especially the way they were swinging it this whole weekend. That was a really great inning for us, capped off by Iván.”
Herrera could sense the Cardinals needed to keep the offense humming in order to get out of Kansas City with a victory.
“A lot of homers, a lot of hits and runs,” Herrera said. “We just had to find a way to outscore the opponent, so I’m just glad I came through there.”
The Cardinals led by four entering the ninth and went to closer Riley O’Brien. But even then, the Royals pushed St. Louis to the brink. Kansas City had the potential tying runs at second and third with one out before O’Brien struck out John Rave and retired Isaac Collins on a groundout to end a wild game.
“We have some things to clean up,” Marmol said. “That’s one of those where things can get sideways really quick with balls flying all over the place. I’m glad to get out of here, I’ll tell you that. But overall, we’re still doing some things really well.”
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