What a way to start the I-70 Series! The St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals delivered a thriller that needed extra innings, with rookie sensation Jordan Walker stealing the spotlight. Walker crushed his 13th home run of the season, powering the Cardinals to a 5-4 walk-off victory in the series opener.
The game started quietly, with both Dustin May and Michael Wacha locked in a pitcher's duel through the first three innings. But the Royals struck first in the 4th, capitalizing on May's control issues. After walking Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez singled, and Carter Jensen doubled him home for a 1-0 lead. May then walked Jac Caglianone, and a sacrifice fly from Collins scored Perez to make it 2-0 Kansas City.
The Cardinals answered immediately in the bottom half. Ivan Herrera was hit by a pitch—though replays showed it glanced off the catcher's glove—and the Royals opted not to challenge. That decision proved costly. With an 0-2 count, Jordan Walker launched a no-doubt homer off Michael Wacha, tying the game at 2-2 and sending Busch Stadium into a frenzy.
St. Louis took the lead in the 5th when Pedro Pagés crushed a solo shot to center field, landing it on Freese's Landing for a 3-2 advantage. But the Royals fought back in the 6th. May walked Pasquantino to start the inning, and after a flyout, singles from Jensen and Caglianone loaded the bases. A groundout from Collins tied the game at 3-3 when Alec Burleson's throw home was just late. May finished with 6 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts and 4 walks—a solid but ultimately frustrating outing.
The bullpens took over from there. George Soriano and JoJo Romero worked around a Bobby Witt Jr. single in the 7th to keep the Royals scoreless. Then in the bottom half, Masyn Winn sparked the Cardinals with a double down the left field line, setting the stage for more late-inning drama. Nathan Church followed with a key at-bat, keeping the rally alive.
After a tense finish, the Cardinals finally broke through in extra innings, securing the walk-off win and setting the tone for the rest of the I-70 Series. For Jordan Walker, it was another highlight in a breakout season that has fans dreaming big. And for St. Louis, it was a reminder that this team never quits—especially in front of a home crowd.