The St. Louis Cardinals came out swinging on Tuesday night in Sacramento, building an early 4-0 lead that proved just enough to hold off the Athletics for a 6-4 victory. It was a night of sharp offense and timely hitting, capped by a towering home run from rookie standout JJ Wetherholt.
The Cardinals wasted no time jumping on Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs, who needed 26 pitches just to record his first out. The inning began with a walk from Wetherholt, followed by a perfectly executed hit-and-run single from Ivan Herrera that put runners on the corners. Jordan Walker then delivered a smart single to left-center, plating Wetherholt and giving St. Louis a quick 1-0 lead.
But the Cardinals weren't done. After Alec Burleson struck out and Masyn Winn popped out, Jose Fermin stepped up with a clutch two-out double to center field, scoring both Walker and Herrera to push the lead to 3-0. Yohel Pozo kept the line moving with an RBI single of his own, bringing home Fermin and making it 4-0 before the Athletics even had a chance to bat.
St. Louis starter Andre Pallante looked solid early, but the Athletics clawed back in the bottom of the second. A two-out rally was extended when a challenge at first base went Oakland's way on a single by Darell Hernaiz. Zach McNeil followed with a single, and then Nick Kurtz ripped a hard single up the middle to score Hernaiz, cutting the lead to 4-1. Shea Langeliers then delivered a two-out double that cleared the bases, scoring both McNeil and Kurtz to make it a one-run game at 4-3.
The Cardinals answered in the sixth inning when Nolan Gorman singled to right, bringing up Wetherholt. The young infielder—who has been turning heads all season—crushed a no-doubt home run over the right-field wall for his eighth long ball of the year, extending the lead to 6-3. Wetherholt added a single later in the game to finish 2-for-4 on the night.
Pallante's final line was respectable: 5 innings, 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, and 3 walks. Ryne Stanek took over in the sixth and walked one batter but kept the Athletics off the board, preserving the Cardinals' lead and helping secure the win.