The Los Angeles Angels defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9–7 on Tuesday night in an 11-inning affair that featured two dramatic extra-inning rallies and multiple lead changes. Kyren Paris delivered the go-ahead hit in the 11th inning, and Yoán Moncada followed with a two-run double to seal the win.
The contest, played at Busch Stadium, remained tied at 3–3 through regulation before both teams combined for six runs in the 10th inning. Los Angeles scored three more in the 11th, while St. Louis could only muster a single run in response. The victory marked the Angels’ second straight win over the Cardinals in extra innings.
The Angels entered the 10th with designated runner Kyren Paris on second base. After he advanced to third on a groundout, Paris scored on a two-run triple by Nolan Schanuel to left-center field. Jo Adell then drove in Schanuel with a single to stretch the lead to 6–3. However, the Cardinals responded in the bottom half of the inning when pinch-hitter Luken Baeker drove in two runs with a double, and Nolan Arenado followed with an RBI single to even the score at 6–6.
In the top of the 11th, Paris again played a key role, driving in the tiebreaking run with a sharp single. Moncada provided insurance with a two-run double off Cardinals reliever Chris Roycroft, who was charged with the loss after allowing three runs, two earned.
St. Louis narrowed the gap in the bottom half with an RBI single by rookie Victor Scott II. Still, Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn entered to record the final two outs, including a strikeout of Willson Contreras with the tying run on base. The save was Zeferjahn’s first in Major League Baseball, while Ryan Johnson picked up his first career win after pitching a scoreless 10th.
Schanuel, who had committed a throwing error in the eighth inning that allowed the Cardinals to tie the game at 3–3, redeemed himself with the key hit in the 10th. His error had enabled Lars Nootbaar to score when Arenado’s infield grounder was misplayed. Earlier in the game, Jordan Walker hit a towering home run to center field and drove in another run for St. Louis. At the same time, Arenado and Baker also contributed multi-RBI performances.
The Angels, now off to a 4–1 start for the first time since 2021, find themselves three games over .500 for the first time since August 2023. Meanwhile, the Cardinals suffered their second consecutive loss in extra innings, falling to 2–3 on the young season.
Looking ahead to the series finale on Wednesday, the Angels will send left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0–1, 4.50 ERA) to the mound against Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (1–0, 3.60 ERA). Early betting lines give the Cardinals a slight edge at home with odds near -115, while the over/under is projected at 9 runs.
