Closer Kenley Jansen allowed three runs in the ninth inning for the second consecutive game as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals came from behind to beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Saturday.
Jansen walked three (one intentionally) and committed three pitch-clock violations in the ninth.
Willson Contreras tied the game by scoring from third when Alec Burleson grounded into a fielder’s choice, and the Cardinals took a 4-3 lead on a throwing error by Enrique Hernandez as he was attempting to complete a double play. The error allowed Nolan Gorman to score.
Gorman’s double earlier in the inning drove in Paul Goldschmidt to cut Boston’s lead to 3-2.
Jansen (1-2) also allowed three runs in the ninth inning of Friday night’s 8-6 loss to St. Louis.
Boston wasted a strong start by Chris Sale, who recorded nine strikeouts in eight innings. Sale limited the Cardinals to a run on three hits and walked one.
Rob Refsnyder had three hits and two RBIs for Boston.
Nolan Arenado hit a solo home run for St. Louis. It was his second homer in as many days, and his fifth home run in his last seven games at Fenway Park.
Andre Pallante (2-0) earned the win for tossing a scoreless eighth inning, and Giovanny Gallegos pitched a scoreless ninth to record his third save.
St. Louis starting pitcher Steven Matz went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Boston opened the scoring when Justin Turner doubled and scored on a two-out single by Rafael Devers in the bottom of the first.
Boston’s lead grew to 3-0 after Refsnyder’s two-out double drove in Pablo Reyes and Alex Verdugo in the third. Nolan Arenado’s fifth home run sliced Boston’s lead to 3-1 in the seventh.
The Red Sox acquired Reyes in a trade with the Oakland A’s on Friday. He didn’t play for the A’s this season but has appeared in 157 major league games with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.
Reyes, 29, started at second base Saturday and had two hits. To make room for Reyes, the Red Sox optioned Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester.
–Field Level Media
