Jansen blows lead for 2nd straight day
BOSTON — Kenley Jansen blew a ninth-inning lead for the second straight day when shortstop Kiké Hernández’s throwing error on a potential game-ending double play allowed Nolan Gorman to score the go-ahead run in a three-run ninth inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
The Red Sox wasted a stellar start by Chris Sale, who pitched eight innings of one-run ball in his longest outing since 2019.
Nolan Arenado had a solo homer for St. Louis a day after collecting four hits with a two-run homer. The Cardinals won Friday’s game with a threerun ninth that was capped by Gorman’s pinch-hit, two-run homer off Jansen.
Rob Refsnyder had a two-run double and three hits, and Rafael
Devers added an RBI double for the Red Sox.
Jansen (1-2) walked Paul Goldschmidt and Willson Contreras, with Contreras reaching when ball four came on a pitch clock violation. After Arenado popped out, pinch hitter Gorman had an RBI double. Brendan Donovan was intentionally walked. Pinch hitter Alec Burleson then hit a fairly slow grounder to second and Hernández, trying to make the DP turn quickly, bounced the throw past first and into Boston’s dugout, allowing Gorman to score the go-ahead run after Contreras scored the tying run.
Andre Pallante (2-0) worked a scoreless inning for the win and Giovanny Gallegos earned his third save.
Mixing a fastball in the 96-mph range with his usual sharp moving slider, Sale held the Cardinals scoreless until Arenado homered over the Green Monster leading off the seventh.