TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Alejandro Kirk drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
After the Cardinals intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to begin the 11th, Leo Jim茅nez advanced both Guerrero and automatic runner Nathan Lukes with a bunt single.
Will Wagner grounded into a fielder鈥檚 choice before over the drawn-in outfield off right-hander Ryan Fernandez (1-5). It was the first game-winning hit of Kirk鈥檚 career.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e back there as a catcher for 11 innings, and you鈥檙e grinding,鈥� manager John Schneider said of Kirk. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great for him.鈥�
Erik Swanson (2-2) worked a scoreless inning for the win as Toronto improved to 3-7 in September. The Blue Jays won in their final at bat for the fifth time.
Cardinals rookie infielder , a tying solo shot in the eighth. Saggese got his first hit and first RBI in Thursday鈥檚 win over Cincinnati.
鈥淲e lost, so I鈥檓 kind of more thinking about that, but pretty cool to do it in that moment to tie the game right there," Saggese said.
St. Louis came in 9-3 this season against AL East opponents. The Cardinals haven鈥檛 lost a series to an AL East team since losing two of three at Boston in June 2022.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 deserve to win when you go 2 for 19 with runners in scoring position,鈥� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tough to do it.鈥�
The first four Cardinals batters of the game all had singles off Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, with Nolan Arenado鈥檚 bloop hit to center driving home the game鈥檚 first run.
A second run scored on Saggese鈥檚 fielder鈥檚 choice, but Arenado was forced out at second on a quick throw from right fielder Addison Barger.
鈥淭hat was huge,鈥� an appreciative Gausman said. 鈥淣ot much was going my way that inning, to kind of steal an out there was huge. That鈥檚 what (Barger) can do with his arm out there. He can throw 100 from the outfield. Whereas most guys probably wouldn鈥檛 even think about making that throw, he came up gunning.鈥�
Toronto responded with a three-run fourth against righty Erick Fedde. Guerrero hit an RBI double, Spencer Horwitz followed with a sacrifice fly, and Kirk drove in Guerrero with a two-out single.
鈥淲hen you get the lead early you want to keep it,鈥� Fedde said. 鈥淯nfortunately I didn鈥檛 do that.鈥�
Saggese tied it by connecting off left-hander 鈥嬧�婫茅nesis Cabrera in the eighth.
鈥淗e was great today and he鈥檚 been a really good addition to the team so far,鈥� Fedde said of Saggese.
The Cardinals put runners at second and third with two outs in the fourth but Gausman escaped by catching Michael Siani鈥檚 line drive back to the mound.
Gausman allowed two runs and nine hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Guerrero started at third base and made a fine defensive play in the seventh, diving to snare Paul Goldschmidt鈥檚 hard grounder and tagging out Masyn Winn, who had strayed off the bag.
Guerrero moved to first in the ninth and and throwing to pitcher Tommy Nance for the out, stranding a runner at second.
鈥淗e was kind of on a full display today,鈥� Schneider said. 鈥淭hose plays were obviously huge for us.鈥�
Fedde was charged with three runs and six hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Jos茅 Berr铆os (15-9, 3.52 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday against Cardinals RHP Kyle Gibson (8-6, 4.20).
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
