ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookie Jordan Walker hit a bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 7-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics in a matchup of last-place teams on Monday night.
Walker’s first career triple capped a four-run seventh. Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer in the fifth, his 19th, for St. Louis.
Jo Jo Romero (3-1) worked 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Cardinals, who had lost their previous six meetings with the A’s.
In the seventh, Angel Felipe (1-1) walked the bases full with one out and gave way to Francisco Perez, who walked Lars Nootbaar on five pitches to move the Cardinals within 5-4.
Perez struck out Luken Baker looking, then yielded Walker’s triple to right-center on a 3-2 fastball. The ball glanced off the glove of Oakland right fielder Seth Brown.
Miles Mikolas departed with a 3-2 lead after yielding consecutive one-out singles in the seventh. Giovanny Gallegos, pitching on his 32nd birthday, entered and gave up a run-scoring double by Zack Gelof and a two-run single by Brown.
Mikolas was charged with four runs.
A’s starter JP Sears allowed three runs in five innings. Esteury Ruiz hit a two-run homer for Oakland in the fifth.
ROSTER MOVE
The A’s recalled RHP Spenser Watkins from Triple-A Las Vegas. Watkins was claimed off waivers from Houston on Aug. 8. He began the season in the Orioles organization and was traded to the Astros on June 23. … INF Tony Kemp was reinstated from the paternity list.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Freddy Tarnok (right calf strain) went on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 11. He’s walked 11 and struck out 14 batters over 14 2/3 innings.
Cardinals: C Willson Contreras (right hip tightness) was removed from the game after three innings. … 2B Nolan Gorman (lower back tightness) was a late scratch. … RHP Ryan Helsley (right forearm strain) is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday for Triple-A Memphis. … RHP Jake Woodford (right shoulder strain) is set to pitch Thursday for Memphis.
UP NEXT
Cardinals RHP Dakota Hudson (3-0, 4.31 ERA) will make his second career start against the A’s, who had not announced a starter.