Ivan Herrera had three hits with four RBIs, including a key three-run double in the sixth inning, while Andre Pallante allowed two runs over seven innings, as the surging St. Louis Cardinals won 10-3 over the struggling host Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Aided on a key error by Kansas City second baseman Jonathan India, St. Louis scored four times in the sixth to take a 7-2 lead. Herrera’s big hit, his first of two doubles, gave control to the Cardinals, who have won 11 of 12.
Pallante (4-2), meanwhile, completed at least seven innings for a second straight start. He gave up single runs in the fourth and fifth, plus seven hits without a walk along with four strikeouts.
Kansas City’s Cole Ragans (2-3) was charged with four runs, while yielding five hits and striking out seven without a walk, but exited after one batter in the sixth due to left groin tightness. Vinnie Pasquantino homered and Salvador Perez had a late RBI single for the Royals, who have lost five of six.
With St. Louis leading 3-2 entering the sixth, Ragans left after allowing a leadoff single to Masyn Winn. John Schreiber then surrendered a single to Brendan Donovan (three hits, RBI).
After Nolan Arenado popped out, Schreiber appeared to induce a double play, but Willson Conteras’ grounder was bobbled by India, who threw late to second base for a force and left the bags loaded. Herrera, batting .419 in 13 games this season, sent a drive that bounced off the center field wall to clear the bases. Pedro Pages followed with an RBI double.
St. Louis struck first in the second when Contreras roped a double down the right field, went to third on Herrera’s groundout and scored off a Ragans’ wild pitch. The Cardinals added two more in the fourth on an RBI double from Contreras, who scored on Herrera’s single to left.
In the bottom of the fourth, Pasquantino sent Pallante’s pitch near the right-center field fountains. The Royals got within 3-2 in the fifth after Kyle Isbel tripled and scored via a Pallante balk.
