Brendan Donovan hit a two-run homer and an RBI single to propel the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday in Birmingham, Ala., as Major League Baseball paid tribute to the Negro Leagues.
The contest, played at historic Rickwood Field, wound up serving as memorial for Giants legend Willie Mays. The Alabama native died Tuesday at age 93.
Donovan finished with three hits, Nolan Gorman drove in two runs and Alec Burleson had two hits and three runs for the Cardinals, who won for the sixth time in nine games.
Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante (3-3) allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked three.
Ryan Helsley stranded two runners in the ninth inning, striking out Matt Chapman to earn his 25th save.
Heliot Ramos hit a three-run homer for the Giants, who lost their third consecutive game.
Giants starting pitcher Keaton Winn (3-8) allowed five runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings. He fanned two and walked one.
San Francisco outfielder Mike Yastrzemski exited the game in the fourth inning due to a side injury.
The Cardinals broke out to a 3-0 first-inning lead. Masyn Winn walked, went to third on Burleson’s single and scored on Gorman’s sacrifice fly. Donovan followed with a two-run shot to right.
San Francisco tied the game 3-3 in the third inning on singles by Yastrzemski and Brett Wisley followed by Ramos’ three-run homer to right.
The Cardinals moved ahead 5-3 in the bottom of the third. Masyn Winn led off with a double, took third on Burleson’s single and scored on another Gorman sacrifice fly.
Donovan knocked Keaton Winn out of the game with a double that sent Burleson to third. Reliever Randy Rodriguez’s wild pitch allowed Burleson to score.
The Cardinals increased their advantage to 6-3 in the fifth inning. Burleson was hit by a Rodriguez pitch, moved up on Paul Goldschmidt’s single and scored on Donovan’s single off Taylor Rogers.
San Francisco cut its deficit in to 6-5 the sixth inning.
Chapman doubled and Jorge Soler walked with one out, ending Pallante’s outing. Wilmer Flores greeted reliever Andrew Kittredge with an RBI single. After Austin Slater hit a single, Nick Ahmed lofted a sacrifice fly.
–Field Level Media