ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals weren’t able to follow up on their mantra of winning every series as they try to remain relevant in a potential postseason picture. But down 4-1 in the fifth inning to Milwaukee and one of its many All-Star pitchers, Brandon Woodruff, on Thursday night, they seemed headed for a crippling sweep at Busch Stadium that would have left them 13 games out of first place.
But reserve catcher Andrew Knizner, hitting .175, singled to center. Pinch hitter Jose Rondon and Tommy Edman both were retired, but Paul Goldschmidt singled for his second hit and Nolan Arenado singled for his second hit and second run batted in.
Tyler O’Neill struck the big blow with his 21st home run, a 450-foot big fly to center off a Woodruff curveball, and the Cardinals had a one-run lead that was augmented by Lars Nootbaar’s third homer, marking the third time the Cardinals had gone back-to-back in a week’s time.
