ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals offense exploded for a season-high 14 runs on 13 hits as they scored three runs or more in four separate innings to avoid being swept at home for the second time in this young season.
Shortstop Tommy Edman spearheaded the onslaught from the leadoff spot in the batting order with three hits and five RBIs as he came a single shy of the cycle in a 14-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of an announced crowd of 39,068 for the finale of a three-game set at Busch Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Edman matched his career high, and he went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple and a home run. His nine total bases were the most by a shortstop in the majors this season.
The Cardinals have now homered in four consecutive games.
Nolan Gorman, who came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and remained in the game, hit the first grand slam of his career and the first of the season for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals went 7 for 15 with runners in scoring position.
Center fielder Dylan Carlson went 2 for 5 with two RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored. Rookie outfielder Jordan Walker had two hits, three runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI.
Catcher Willson Contreras continued his recent hot streak with hit fourth consecutive multi hit game. Contreras went 2 for 3 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI.
The Cardinals lead by as many as 10 runs, 14-4, but the Diamondbacks added one run in the eighth inning on Gabriel Moreno’s RBI single.
Right-hander Jake Woodford allowed four runs on seven hits, two home runs, and one walk in five innings as he earned his first win of the season.
The Cardinals (8-11) have never been swept at home by the Diamondbacks, though they were on the cusp of a sweep after dropping the first two games of the series. The most recent near-sweep at home against the Diamondbacks came 22 years ago when the Cardinals lost the first two games of a series on April 16-18, 2001.
Cardinals apply pressure early
The Cardinals got out of the gates quickly against Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Edman and Carlson roped back-to-back doubles with Edman scoring on Carlson’s drive to left-center field. They scored their first run before an out had been recorded.
The Cardinals began the day batting .242 with runners in scoring position as a team (21st in the majors), but Carlson delivered an RBI double in with Edman on second.
Following a called third strike on Paul Goldschmidt, a Nolan Arenado walk and a double steal by Carlson and Arenado that allowed Carlson to score on a throwing error by Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera, Contreras mashed an RBI double narrowly inside the third-base bag to give the Cardinals their second RBI double of the inning and a 3-0 lead.
The double gave Contreras seven hits in a 14 at-bat stretch, and six of those hits were extra-base hits (four doubles, two home runs).
Woodford struggled to hold lead
The Cardinals’ offense staked starting pitcher Woodford to a three-run lead going into the second inning, but that advantage didn’t last very long.
Woodford, who tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his previous start, allowed a one-out walk to Pavin Smith, then gave up a two-run home run on an elevated 0-2 fastball that Thomas belted 432 feet to center field.
The homer pulled the Diamondbacks within a run just a half inning after the Cardinals had built their lead.
The Diamondbacks tied the score in the third against Woodford when Ketel Marte hit a one-out single, advanced to third on a ground-rule double by Corbin Carroll, then scored on Christian Walker’s sacrifice fly.
Woodford (1-2) finished his outing with a scoreless fifth inning.
Walker, Edman lift Cardinals
The Cardinals answered right after the Diamondbacks tied the score. They started the bottom of the third with a somewhat contentious plate appearance by Contreras against Bumgarner. After Contreras took a big swing and missed on a 1-0 fastball, Bumgarner barked some choice words at Contreras and Diamondbacks catcher Herrera got chest-to-chest with Contreras as the Diamondbacks apparently took exception to Contreras’ reaction to missing Bumgarner’s fastball.
Home plate umpire Junior Valentine got between the players and it didn’t escalate beyond words. Contreras walked on five pitches, the first of three consecutive batters to reach base to start the inning.
O’Neill doubled to put runners on second and third, then rookie Jordan Walker singled up the middle to break the tie and give the Cardinals a 4-3 edge. Walker had been just 1 for 12 since having his career-opening 12-game win streak.
Edman followed with a three-run home run, his second homer of the season, to give the Cardinals a four-run inning and a 7-3 lead. His first-pitch smash to left field traveled an estimated 373 feet.
