ST. LOUIS — It was a milestone game for Masyn Winn on Thursday, and he celebrated it in two ways – with a home run and a Cardinals’ victory.
Winn played in his 162nd career game in the majors in the win over the Padres, the equivalent of a full season of games, and the rookie shortstop continued to add to his numbers in what has been a very productive season.
The home run, which added a run to a one-run Cardinals lead in the sixth inning, was his 12th of the season and his two-hit day raised his season average to .287.
For his first 162 games in the majors, Winn – who madde his debut on Aug. 18 last year – has posted a .264 average with 158 hits, 14 home runs and 59 RBIs.
Winn had multi-hit games in each of the four games against the Padres, going 9-of-17 with five runs scored and one RBI.
The win gave the Cardinals a split of the series after losing the first two games and pulled them back to .500 at the season with a 67-67 record.
Here is how Thursday’s game broke down:
At the plate: After leaving runners on second and third in each of the first two innings, the Cardinals finally scored in the third. A leadoff walk and two-base error set up an RBI groundout from Luken Baker in advance of a two-out double by Paul Goldschmidt … The Cardinals also left the bases loaded in the fifth and had just two hits in 14 at-bats with a runner in scoring position … Ivan Herrera and Victor Scott II also had two-hit days, with Scott beating out a bunt single in the eighth after Herrera’s RBI single drove in Lars Nootbaar, who led off the inning with a triple.
On the mound: Sonny Gray cooled off the Padres on a 92-degree day, allowing just three hits over six innings to win for only the second time in his last seven starts and snap a personal three-game losing streak. One of the hits was a home run by Jackson Merrill, the 21st Gray has allowed this season but only the fifth in 14 starts at Busch Stadium. He pitched around one-out doubles in the third and fourth innings … The Padres had only two baserunners after Merrill’s home run, on back-to-back two-out walks from Ryan Fernandez in the seventh before he got out of the jam … Matthew Liberatore struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth and Ryan Helsley needed only 14 pitches to record his 41st save of the season and finish off the victory.
Key stat: Winn’s home run was his fifth in August, breaking a tie with Goldschmidt for the most on the team. Winn also leads the team with 33 hits this month, in 105 at-bats, a .314 average.
Worth noting: The Athletic reported Thursday that the Cardinals are placing Tommy Pham on waivers, but the move has not been confirmed by the team. If he is not claimed he will remain with the Cardinals. The move could give Pham a chance to be claimed by a team in time to make him eligible for a postseason roster. The Cardinals acquired Pham in a deadline trade from the White Sox … Baker had the first stolen base of his major-league career and his second in pro ball, the other coming in 2019 at Class A Palm Beach … Lance Lynn is scheduled to make a rehab start for Memphis on Sunday in Iowa …
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will play the Yankees this weekend in New York with Erick Fedde the scheduled starter in Friday night’s opener.
