The Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium, clinching the three-game series. Willson Contreras, facing his former team, went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-run homer. Jordan Walker hit his major-league leading seventh home run of the season for St. Louis.
Willson Contreras set the tone early for Boston, crushing a 94.6 mph sinker from Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante 411 feet to center field for a two-run homer in the first inning. He added singles in the third, fourth and seventh innings, driving in Jarren Duran with one of those hits to extend Boston's lead to 7-1. Trevor Story also collected four hits, while Duran cleared the bases with a three-run double in the fourth inning during a five-run outburst that broke the game open. Boston finished with 12 hits in the victory, their second straight series win after dropping Friday's opener. Red Sox starter Brayan Bello earned the win, allowing two runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He threw 94 pitches, relying heavily on his sinker to generate weak contact. Manager Alex Cora praised Bello's strike-throwing and pitch mix. Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker kept pace in the home run race, leading off the second inning with a 432-foot homer off Bello's cutter to left-center -- his seventh of the season and sixth in his last eight games. The 23-year-old extended his hitting streak to eight games, becoming the fourth Cardinals player to reach seven homers in the team's first 15 games, joining Mark McGwire, Scott Rolen and Albert Pujols. Manager Oliver Marmol lauded Walker's ability to separate preparation from competition. Walker credited cage work with assistant hitting coach Casey Chenoweth for his readiness. Contreras said scoring early gives the pitcher comfort, while Story noted the team's relentless approach.
