Nolan Gorman of the Cardinals watches his RBI double in the ninth inning Saturday against the Red Sox. St. Louis scored three runs in the ninth to rally for a 4-3 win. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
BOSTON — Kenley Jansen blew a ninth-inning lead for the second straight day when shortstop Kiké Hernández’s throwing error on a potential game-ending double play allowed Nolan Gorman to score the go-ahead run in a three-run ninth inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
The Red Sox wasted a stellar start by Chris Sale, who pitched eight innings of one-run ball in his longest outing since 2019.
Nolan Arenado had a solo homer for St. Louis, a day after collecting four hits with a two-run homer. The Cardinals won Friday’s game with a three-run ninth that was capped by Gorman’s pinch-hit, two-run homer off Jansen.
Rob Refsnyder had a two-run double and three hits, and Rafael Devers added an RBI double for the Red Sox.
“We got a ground ball in the situation when we needed it,” Boston Manager Alex Cora said. “We didn’t turn the double play. It’s one of those when (Jansen) was wild early-on, they got traffic and put pressure on us.”
Jansen (1-2) walked Paul Goldschmidt and Willson Contreras, with Contreras reaching when ball four came on a pitch clock violation. After Arenado popped out, pinch hitter Gorman had an RBI double. Brendan Donovan was intentionally walked. Pinch hitter Alec Burleson then hit a slow grounder to second and Hernández, trying to make the double-play turn quickly, bounced his throw past first baseman Justin Turner and into Boston’s dugout, allowing Gorman to score the go-ahead run after Contreras scored the tying run.
“We’re pushing with our words,” Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol said, using his hands to gesture forward when asked what he was thinking as Burleson raced down the line for what would have been a close play.
“It worked out well for us,” Marmol said, smiling.
Andre Pallante (2-0) worked a scoreless inning for the win, and Giovanny Gallegos earned his third save.
Mixing a fastball in the 96-mph range with his usual sharp-moving slider, Sale held the Cardinals scoreless until Arenado homered over the Green Monster leading off the seventh.
Sale struck out nine, giving up three hits with one walk. He threw 77 of his 110 pitches for strikes.
Sale pitched a perfect eighth and left to a loud ovation, ending his longest outing since he went eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels in Fenway Park on Aug. 8, 2019.
“It was big,” Sale said of the chance to go out for the eighth. “I’ve said before, our job as starters is to take up as much of the game as we can.”
Cardinals starter Steven Matz gave up three runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Left-handed batters were hitting just .130 going into the game against Matz, but lefty-batting Devers lined an RBI single off the Monster in the first before ending the inning when he was caught trying to stretch it into a double.
Inserted into the third spot in the order by Cora because of his success against left-handed pitchers with a .293 average this season, Refsnyder lined a double off the Monster to make it 3-0 in the third.
WELCOME ABOARD
Playing his first game with the Red Sox after being acquired Friday in a trade with Oakland, Pablo Reyes doubled off the Green Monster in his first at-bat and singled to left in his second. Reyes, who was not on Oakland’s 40-man roster, appeared in 21 games for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate, Las Vegas, and hit .257 in 91 plate appearances.
START ME UP
Boston’s starters have gone at least five innings in 16 of its last 17 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Cora said right-hander Kutter Crawford (strained left hamstring) is slated to make a rehab appearance for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday and would rejoin the club for its upcoming road trip.
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