Pozo's hit in 11th lifts Cardinals over Royals, setting off celebration among shirtless fans
TL;DR
Yohel Pozo's game-ending hit in the 11th inning led the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals, sparking a celebration among fans. Jordan Walker contributed with three hits, including his 13th home run.
Key points
- Yohel Pozo hit a game-winning single in the 11th inning.
- The Cardinals defeated the Royals 5-4.
- Jordan Walker had three hits and his 13th home run.
- St. Louis celebrated with about 100 shirtless fans.
- The Cardinals achieved their fourth walk-off win of the season.
ST. LOUIS (AP) â Yohel Pozo ended the game with his first hit in seven pinch-hit at-bats this season, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat I-70 rival Kansas City 5-4 in 11 innings on Friday night to set off a celebration among about 100 shirtless fans in Busch Stadium's right-field seats.
Jordan Walker had three hits, including his 13th homer, and is batting .309.
St. Louis was 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position before Pozoâs opposite-field, two-out hit to right off Steven Cruz (0-1). Pozo was so excited about lining the ball into right he at first didnât run hard up the line and had to be urged on by teammates, aware there was a possible force play if he didnât hurry.
St. Louis got its fourth walk-off win of the season, two shy of the Cardinalsâ total last year.
About 100 fans went to an open section in right field in the ninth and twirled their shirts while chanting, trying to spark St. Louis to a victory.
Oliver Marmol got his 351st win as Cardinals manager, tying Hall of Famer Joe Torre for ninth in club history.
Kansas City has lost five straight and seven of nine, dropping into the AL Central cellar.
Carter Jensenâs RBI double and Isaac Collinsâ sacrifice fly put the Royals ahead 2-0 in the fourth against Dustin May but Walkerâs homer off former Cardinal Michael Wacha tied the score in the bottom half and Pedro PagĂ©s went deep against Wacha for a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
Collinsâ run-scoring groundout tied the score in the sixth.
Bobby Witt Jr. hit a go-ahead double in the 10th against Ryne Stanek, and Alec Burleson retired the score with an RBI single off Lucas Erceg in the bottom half.
hit a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning, Jordan Walker and Pedro Pagés each hit a home run, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Wednesday night.
Walker finished with three hits and two RBIs, while Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson added two apiece.
Royals Michael Wacha (4-2) allowed three runs and had five strikeouts in six innings.
Cardinals Dustin May (3-4) gave up three runs in six innings.
Up next
Royals LHP Noah Cameron (2-2, 5.55 ERA) starts Saturday against Cardinals RHP Kyle Leahy (4-3, 4.31) in the second of a three-game series.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Q&A
What was the significance of Yohel Pozo's hit for the Cardinals?
Yohel Pozo's hit was his first in seven pinch-hit at-bats this season and secured a walk-off victory for the Cardinals.
How did the Cardinals perform with runners in scoring position during the game?
The Cardinals struggled, going 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position before Pozo's decisive hit.
Who were the key players in the Cardinals' win over the Royals?
Yohel Pozo and Jordan Walker were key players, with Walker achieving three hits and a home run, while Pozo delivered the game-winning hit.
