ST. LOUIS — Putting Tommy Edman back into the leadoff spot Saturday night turned out to be a good move for the Cardinals.
Edman had three hits, including a double and triple, and drove in two runs to lead the Cardinals to a 6-2 win over the Rockies at Busch Stadium.
It was only the third win in nine games on the current homestand for the Cardinals, which ends on Sunday. It also was the 10,000th win in franchise history since they joined the team name to Cardinals prior to the 1900 season, the second most in MLB history by a team which has not changed its nicknamed on moved to a new city. The only team with more wins is the Pirates.
Edman had struggled in the leadoff spot this season. In 18 previous starts at the top of the batting order he was just 17-of-76, a .224 average, with seven RBIs.
Here's how Saturday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Tyler O’Neill gave the Cardinals an early lead with a two-out homer in the second … Dylan Carlson’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the fourth made it a 2-0 lead and after the Rockies cut the lead in half, Willson Contreras drove in two runs with a double in the fifth inning … Edman’s triple came in the sixth inning, knocking in two more runs … That hit was one of only two in 11 at-bats for the Cardinals with a runner in scoring position.
On the mound: It was another good start for Steven Matz, who allowed just five hits and one run over six innings. He walked two and struck out six as he won for the third time in his last four starts. He has allowed only one run over his last three starts, covering 18 innings … Andre Pallante allowed the other Rockies run on a home run in two innings of relief.
Key stat: O’Neill’s homer extended his hitting streak to eight games and was his third in his last four games. Since returning from the injured list on July 20, O’Neill has posted a .306 average (15-of-49) with the three homers, four doubles and seven RBIs in 14 games, 13 of them starts.
Worth noting: The Cardinals have gone 5-1 in the six games Matz has started since he rejoined the rotation on July 9 … This was the sixth three-hit game of the season for Edman, but the first since May 21.
Looking ahead: Zack Thompson will serve as the opener and get the start in the series finale on Sunday but it will be a bullpen game for the Cardinals as Miles Mikolas serves a five-game suspension for intentionally hitting Ian Happ of the Cubs.
Follow Rob Rains on X @RobRains
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