Lars Nootbaar hit a tiebreaking bases-clearing double in the seventh inning as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals blew a five-run lead before earning a 14-7 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.
Nootbaar snapped a 7-7 tie when he lifted a 2-2 changeup from Tommy Kahnle (0-2) over right fielder Juan Soto near the warning track. As Soto was slow to retrieve the ball, Nolan Arenado, Ivan Herrera and Jordan Walker scored.
Walker had a career-high five hits, hitting four singles around a two-run homer in the fifth that gave the Cardinals a 7-2 lead. Walker set up Nootbaar’s clutch hit with a base hit to right field on Kahnle’s fastball.
After Nootbaar’s clutch hit, the Cardinals (69-68) added two more for a 12-7 lead. They finished with 21 hits.
Nootbaar scored on a base hit by Victor Scott II. Scott scored the final run of the inning on a throwing error by reliever Phil Bickford.
Walker got hit fourth single of the game in the ninth and scored when Nootbaar homered off Ron Marinaccio.
After Walker’s first homer since Sept. 17, 2023, the Yankees rallied with three in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI double while Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres hit run-scoring singles for the Yankees (79-58).
Anthony Volpe hit an RBI single and Torres lifted a tying sacrifice fly in the sixth. Following Torres’ sacrifice fly, Soto flew out to the warning track after hitting into a double play in the fifth.
Jo-Jo Romero (6-2) retired Soto to end the threat and got the decision after yielding no runs, one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
Giancarlo Stanton homered and Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored on a throwing error by St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas as the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the second.
Mason Wynn hit a two-run double and Luken Baker hit a two-run homer off Nestor Cortes in the fourth for a 5-2 St. Louis lead.
Mikolas allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits in four-plus innings.
Cortes allowed five runs on nine hits in four innings. Jake Cousins (1-1) took the loss after yielding two runs hone hit and one walk with one strikeout in 2/3 of an inning.
