DENVER — Nolan Gorman sparked St. Louis' three-run ninth inning with a tiebreaking solo homer off Pierce Johnson, and the Cardinals topped the Colorado Rockies 9-6 on Tuesday night.
Gorman's third homer of the season gave St. Louis a 7-6 lead. Paul Goldschmidt then singled in Brendan Donovan and scored on Tyler O'Neill's single.
Tommy Edman and Juan Yepez also went deep for the Cardinals, who trailed 6-2 after six innings. Nolan Arenado hit a three-run double in the seventh, and rookie Jordan Walker extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
Giovanny Gallegos (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win, and Ryan Helsley gave up a pair of singles before retiring three straight for his second save.
Elías Díaz, C.J. Cron and Ryan McMahon homered for Colorado, but Johnson (0-1) faltered in the ninth. McMahon also committed a costly error.
The Cardinals scored four unearned runs in the seventh after McMahon booted Edman’s two-out grounder to second for an error, loading the bases.
Dinelson Lamet then relieved Jake Bird and walked Goldschmidt before Arenado, who spent his first eight years in Colorado before being traded to St. Louis ahead of the 2021 season, laced a double down the left-field line.
The Rockies had opened a 6-2 lead with five runs in the fifth, batting around against Miles Mikolas. McMahon hit a three-run drive and Cron followed with another homer. Yonathan Daza added a sacrifice fly.
Edman homered in the first, snapping a 13-inning scoreless streak to start the season by Colorado starter Kyle Freeland, and Yepez homered leading off the third.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: OF Lars Nootbaar (left thumb contusion) took swings in the batting cage and manager Oliver Marmol said he is encouraged by his progress. Nootbaar was eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Monday.
Rockies: RHP Germán Márquez was scheduled to undergo an MRI after leaving Monday’s start against St. Louis with right forearm tightness. It’s still uncertain whether he’ll have to miss his next scheduled start. ... INF Elehuris Montero sat out because of right hand soreness. ... RHP Daniel Bard pitched to batters on the field in a pregame session that marked his first time facing hitters since opening the season on the injured list due to anxiety. “It was another step in the right direction,” manager Bud Black said. “He’s like anybody on the injured list. He’s got to go through steps to get back.” There is no timetable yet for his return.
UP NEXT
Cardinals RHP Jack Flaherty (1-1, 1.80 ERA) is set to make his first career appearance at Coors Field in Wednesday’s series finale. Rockies RHP José Ureña (0-2, 14.40 ERA) will be looking to pick up his first win of the season.
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