ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookie Jordan Walker hit a bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 7-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics in a matchup of last-place teams on Monday night.
Walker's first career triple capped a four-run seventh. Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer in the fifth, his 19th, for St. Louis.
Jo Jo Romero (3-1) worked 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Cardinals, who had lost their previous six meetings with the A's.
In the seventh, Angel Felipe (1-1) walked the bases full with one out and gave way to Francisco Perez, who walked Lars Nootbaar on five pitches to move the Cardinals within 5-4.
Perez struck out Luken Baker looking, then yielded Walker's triple to right-center on a 3-2 fastball. The ball glanced off the glove of Oakland right fielder Seth Brown.
Miles Mikolas departed with a 3-2 lead after yielding consecutive one-out singles in the seventh. Giovanny Gallegos, pitching on his 32nd birthday, entered and gave up a run-scoring double by Zack Gelof and a two-run single by Brown.
Mikolas was charged with four runs.
A's starter JP Sears allowed three runs in five innings. Esteury Ruiz hit a two-run homer for Oakland in the fifth.
ROSTER MOVE
The A's recalled RHP Spenser Watkins from Triple-A Las Vegas. Watkins was claimed off waivers from Houston on Aug. 8. He began the season in the Orioles organization and was traded to the Astros on June 23. ... INF Tony Kemp was reinstated from the paternity list.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Freddy Tarnok (right calf strain) went on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 11. He’s walked 11 and struck out 14 batters over 14 2/3 innings.
Cardinals: C Willson Contreras (right hip tightness) was removed from the game after three innings. ... 2B Nolan Gorman (lower back tightness) was a late scratch. ... RHP Ryan Helsley (right forearm strain) is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday for Triple-A Memphis. ... RHP Jake Woodford (right shoulder strain) is set to pitch Thursday for Memphis.
UP NEXT
Cardinals RHP Dakota Hudson (3-0, 4.31 ERA) will make his second career start against the A's, who had not announced a starter.
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