Cardinals knock Red Sox below .500 with 10-6 win

Red Sox

Brayan Bello (4-2) allowed a season-high five runs in a season-low 4 2/3 innings.

By JOE HARRIS, Associated Press

May 18, 2024 | 9:42 a.m.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn hit two-run homers and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Boston 10-6 Friday night to drop the Red Sox below .500 for the first time since the week of opening of the season.

Nolan Arenado had three hits, including an RBI single in the eighth after going into a 3-for-27 slide.

“I think today we were just focused on competing and being there,” Arenado said.

Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson also worked deep for the Cardinals, who tied season highs in runs, hits (14) and home runs. St. Louis has had at least 10 hits in five of its last six games.

“A lot of good at-bats tonight from everyone, you know, and we put them together as well,” Burleson said. “Just, you know, I killed them with singles when we needed to and then, you know, we mixed in some long balls as well. So it’s a lot of fun to watch as we click.

Winn’s two-run homer off Cam Booser was the first home run of Winn’s big league career.

“He came up to me right before that at-bat, told me I was going to take some big hits,” Nootbaar said. “And I thought, do it, man, why not?”

Boston has lost three games in a row and 10 of 14, falling to 22-23. The Red Sox haven’t been below .500 since a 1-2 start.

Kyle Gibson (3-2) allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in six-plus innings as the Cardinals won for the fourth time in five games.

Brayan Bello (4-2) allowed a season-high five runs in a season-low 4 2/3 innings. Pitching on his 25th birthday, he matched his career-worst record by allowing three home runs.

“It was a bad outing,” Bello said through an interpreter. “The team did everything they could to score some points, to give me some support, but I couldn’t adapt tonight.”

Nootbaar gave the Cardinals the lead when he hit a 430-foot changeup over the center field wall for his third homer in 10 days.

“Hits are contagious and you have a handful of guys who take hits and all of a sudden you feel a little better about yourself and have more confidence,” Nootbaar said.

David Hamilton’s two-run triple tied the score in the second. Tyler O’Neill scored on the hit and received a standing ovation upon returning to St. Louis, his team from 2018-23.

Gorman homered in the second and Rafael Devers tied the score 3-3 with a 443-foot drive in the third – he was 9 for 20 against Gibson with three extra-base hits.

“We were what, 3 for 12 with runners in scoring position?” » said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “But the bats are getting better, which is, you know, a positive.”

Burleson homered in the top of the fourth and Paul Goldschmidt hit an RBI single for a 5-3 lead in the fifth.

“Today was fun, man,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Up and down the lineup, not a lot of room to maneuver. Extra base hits, home runs, some key hits when they were needed from almost everyone. So the offense looked really, really good today.

TRAINERS ROOM

The Red Sox: RHP Garrett Whitlock (left oblique strain) felt soreness in his right elbow after an early rehab start and was shut down. Whitlock, who pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings at Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, returned to Boston and will undergo imaging tests this weekend.

Cardinals: C Willson Contreras (fractured left forearm) had his cast removed and still hopes to return around the All-Star break. … RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement) threw a bullpen session.

FOLLOWING

The Cardinals will start RHP Miles Mikolas (3-5, 6.19 ERA) against RHP Kutter Crawford (2-2, 2.24 ERA) and the Red Sox on Saturday night. Mikolas allowed just one run in six innings in his only career start last year against Boston. Crawford allowed four runs in four innings in his only career start against St. Louis in 2022.