Locklear’s Homer, Eight-Run Eighth Lift Diamondbacks Past Cardinals

Locklear Drives In Key Runs

Locklear provided the offensive spark for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, delivering a pivotal home run and contributing to a massive scoring surge that carried his team to a 10-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The win improved Arizona’s record to 54-49, while the Cardinals fell to 52-50.

Locklear’s power display began in the fourth inning. With the score tied 1-1, he launched a 364-foot home run to left field, driving in two runs to give the Diamondbacks their first lead of the game. He added to his production in the eighth inning, singling to center field to score another run. His two-hit performance included the game’s only home run.

Diamondbacks Erase Deficit

The Cardinals struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on back-to-back hits by Walker and Nootbaar. Arizona answered in the bottom of the fourth when Tawa scored on a sacrifice fly, making it 2-1. The Diamondbacks then took the lead 3-2 on Locklear’s blast.

Moreno extended the advantage to 4-2 in the fifth with another sacrifice fly, and Del Castillo added an insurance run in the eighth with a single. The inning proved decisive for Arizona, as they orchestrated an eight-run explosion to break the game open.

Cardinals Rally in Ninth

Despite the deficit, St. Louis mounted a comeback attempt in the bottom of the ninth inning. Torres singled to right field, scoring two runs to make it 10-4. Nootbaar followed with a single to right, scoring two more to bring the final margin to 10-6. However, the Cardinals’ rally fell short.

Pitching Performances

Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt earned the win, pitching six innings while allowing seven hits and two earned runs. He improved his record to 5-1. Brandyn Garcia secured the save with one scoreless inning, earning his 12th save of the season. Taylor Clarke pitched a perfect inning, while Ryan Thompson gave up four earned runs in his appearance.

For St. Louis, Michael McGreevy took the loss, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing four earned runs. His record dropped to 4-8. Justin Bruihl, Matt Svanson, and Gordon Graceffo combined for the remaining innings, with Svanson allowing three earned runs in his brief appearance. The game drew an attendance of 32,381 at Busch Stadium.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401881162