Ivan Herrera hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies, 7-6, in Denver on Friday night.
St. Louis (71-71) gained ground in the NL wild card, jumping over Miami and moving within three games of Arizona.
The Cardinals trailed 6-4 entering the ninth when Thomas Saggese drew a leadoff walk off of Jordan Romano (0-3) and Jose Fermin reached on a throwing error. Herrera hit a 1-2 slider 430 feet to center to give St. Louis the lead with manager Oliver Marmol watching from the clubhouse.
Marmol was ejected in the sixth inning by home plate umpire Doug Eddings.
Cade Winquist (1-0) got the win in relief and Riley O’Brien got the final three outs for his 36th save.
Cole Carrigg hit an inside-the-park home run and tripled, TJ Rumfield also went deep, tripled and singled, and Connor Norby had two hits for Colorado (54-87).
St. Louis starter Andre Pallante battled through five innings, allowing just a run, and left with a 4-1 lead, and the Rockies pounced on reliever Hancel Rincon, who was making his major league debut.
With one out, Rumfield tripled and scored on a wild pitch, Carrigg’s drive bounced off the wall in center, and he scored easily.
It was his seventh home run.
Norby singled and Justin Bruihl relieved Rincon. He was given a pitch clock violation before throwing a pitch, bringing out Marmol, who was ejected. Johnston doubled, Adael Amador had an RBI single and Johnston scored on Zac Veen’s sacrifice bunt.
Replays showed catcher Leo Bernal tagged out Johnston, but St. Louis lost its challenge.
Rumfield hit a solo homer in the seventh, his 15th, to extend the lead.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead on Hunter Goodman’s sacrifice fly in the first, but St. Louis answered in the second on Nolan Gorman’s run-scoring single and an RBI double by Saggese.
The Cardinals padded their lead in the fifth on Alec Burleson’s RBI single and Walker’s sacrifice fly.
Feltner allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings.