A pinch-hit double in the 8th by Brendan Donovan cinches the Cardinals Win
The St. Louis Cardinals just keep finding ways to win — and Monday night at Busch Stadium, it was pinch-hitter Brendan Donovan delivering the big blow to ensure a Cardinals win. Down 2-1 in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies, Donovan ripped a two-run double that turned the game on its head and powered the Cards to a thrilling 3-2 victory.
With the win, St. Louis has now taken five of its last seven games and closed within just three games of the New York Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot. The Rockies, meanwhile, saw their losing streak stretch to eight games.
Thomas Saggese was everywhere for the Cardinals, going 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Alec Burleson added a clutch RBI single in the third to get the scoring started. Miles Mikolas kept the team in it, tossing 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball before handing it over to the bullpen. Kyle Leahy slammed the door with 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Nootbaar Injured?
The game wasn’t without its tense moments. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar exited in the fifth inning with a left knee contusion after fouling a ball off his leg earlier. But St. Louis kept grinding. In the bottom of the eighth, Nolan Gorman’s walk and Saggese’s bloop single set the stage for Donovan’s heroics, driving in pinch-runner Garrett Hampson and Saggese for the go-ahead runs.
Colorado had briefly taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh thanks to a small-ball rally capped by Brenton Doyle’s RBI single. But the Cards answered back immediately, showing some resilience that is needed to for any club seeking to make a Wild Card appearance.
If they keep stacking wins like this — with timely hitting, steady pitching, and a knack for late-inning drama — Donovan’s double might be remembered as one of the key moments in their playoff chase.
