Cards slam Royals with feline help
ST. LOUIS — The Rally Squirrel became the St. Louis Cardinals’ unofficial mascot during their 2011 World Series championship run. On Wednesday night, the Rally Cat was born. Yadier Molina blasted a grand slam into the left field seats one pitch after a cat ran onto and across the field in the sixth inning, helping the Cardinals rally to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5.
“It’s amazing,” Molina said. “You see some animal coming through a field. You expect people to jump on the field but you never expect an animal. It was fun.”
The win was the third straight for the Cardinals against the Royals and the fifth straight overall. The Royals have lost eight of their last 10 overall.
overall. The Royals have lost eight of their last 10 overall.
Molina’s big blast — after a little help from a friendly feline — made the difference on a night the teams combined for 13 runs and 26 hits.
“I’m not a cat person but I sure liked that one,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.
The Cardinals loaded the bases off Royals relievers Brandon Maurer and Peter Moylan. Molina was at the plate, with two outs, when the cat came onto the field and ran toward the center-field wall.
“I heard the crowd erupt and I thought there must have been something on the scoreboard,” Moylan said. “I turned around and there’s a kitten running around, which is the first time that’s happened to me.”
On the next pitch, Molina drilled his 14th homer of the season into the left field seats for his fifth career slam.
“I left a pitch over the middle of the plate and I paid for it,” Moylan said.
Reds 10, Padres 3
CINCINNATI — Scooter Gennett hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, ending left-hander Brad Hand’s long scoreless streak and rallying the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds won three of four in the series. They’re 9-18 since the All-Star break.
San Diego took a 3-2 lead into the seventh, leaving Dinelson Lamet in line for a fourth -traight victory. The Padres’ best reliever of late let it get away.
The Reds loaded the bases against Kirby Yates (2-3) and Hand, who had a streak of 24 scoreless innings. Gennett’s third career grand slam made it 6-3, the first runs allowed by Hand since June 10.
Eugenio Suarez homered two pitches later, after Gennett came to the front of the dugout to acknowledge an ovation from the crowd of 14,915. Zack Cozart and Joey Votto added homers in the eighth, with Votto’s solo shot extending his hitting streak to a season-high 15 games.
Pirates 7, Tigers 5
DETROIT — Rookie Josh Bell hit his 20th homer and drove in three runs.
Gerrit Cole (10-8) allowed six hits and three earned runs in a season-high eight innings. He improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break and is 6-3 in his last 10 starts.
Felipe Rivero got two outs for his 11th save. Drew VerHagen (0-2) took the loss.
Sean Rodriguez hit a solo home run and RBI single for the Pirates.