Wetherholt, Church, Pallante key Cardinals’ 3-2 win over Diamondbacks

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookies JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church each had two hits, sparking the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Andre Pallante (9-4) allowed six hits and one run in six innings to secure the victory.

Pallante has earned wins in his last four starts and has given up two runs or ⁠less in five of his last six outings. St. Louis has won all five of those games.

Riley O’Brien, the fifth Cardinals pitcher, notched his 19th save in 23 opportunities by working the ninth.

Merrill Kelly (5-7) pitched six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits.

Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll each had two hits for Arizona.

St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the third on a one-out infield single by Alec Burleson that drove in Church.

The Cardinals extended their lead to 3-0 with a two-run fourth. Blaze Jordan’s sacrifice fly to deep center scored Jimmy Croocks. Church followed with a run-scoring single to shallow center, driving in Masyn Winn.

Former Cardinal Nolan Arenado made his first appearance in St. Louis since he was traded in January. Arenado played five seasons with the Cardinals. Many fans gave him a standing ovation before his first at-bat in the second and then he singled to left.

Arenado drove in a run with a sixth-inning groundout, cutting St. Louis’ lead to 3-1.

The second Diamondbacks run came on a 440-foot homer to center by Tommy Troy in seventh off reliever Ryne Stanek, who was making his 500th career appearance. Stanek is one of 13 active pitchers with 500 games.

Up next

Arizona LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-2,2.45) faces RHP Kyle Leahy (5-4, 4.63) in the second of the four-game series.

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