Arenado goes deep to start up Cardinals, finish off Phillies
PHILADELPHIA » Nolan Arenado sparked a record barrage of four straight home runs by St. Louis in the first inning, then hit a tiebreaking drive in the ninth that sent the Cardinals past the Phillies 7-6 Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
With two outs in the first, Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carson homered off Kyle Gibson. It was the first time in major league history a team connected for four homers in a row in the first inning.
“It was really cool just being a part of that,” Arenado said. “It was almost surreal. You didn’t really believe it. Those moments are special. I’m very thankful for them.”
The Cardinals tied the MLB record for any inning with four in a row. It was the first time they had done it, and the 11th time overall in big league history.
“That was incredible,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Guys took some good swings. They were on attack.”
The home crowd at South Philadelphia gasped when Lars Nootbaar followed Carlson and made solid contact on a fly ball that was caught in deep left field but well shy of the warning track to end the inning.
It was 6-all when Arenado led off the ninth by clearing the wall in left field off Seranthony Domínguez (4-2) for the Cardinals’ third baseman’s 17th home run. Arenando hit for the cycle on Friday night in the Cardinals’ 5-3 defeat to the Phillies.
“I just got enough of it,” Arenado said. “We’re obviously excited to win the
ballgame. That’s what’s most important.”
Yairo Muñoz hit a tworun double, Matt Vierling had a pair of RBIs and Odúbel Herrera had three hits for the Phillies.
“These guys kept battling,”
Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said. “Came back to tie twice. Just couldn’t seem to get the lead, but I’m awfully proud of the way they battled.”
Cardinals closer Ryan
Helsley (4-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, striking out five of the seven batters he faced.
St. Louis put on a historic power display in the first.
After Gibson got the first two outs, Paul Goldschmidt singled before Arenado’s two-run shot to left field on a slider started the long ball onslaught.
Gorman followed by driving a 2-1 cutter into the seats in right field. Yepez fouled off a 1-2 pitch before clearing the fence in left field to mark the first time since Sept. 19, 2002, that the Cardinals hit three homers in a row.
Carson finished the amazing power display by connecting on a 1-0 sinker that hit the facing of the second deck in right field.