Starting Lineups:

Texas Rangers (30-31):

1) Joc Pederson (L) DH

2) Josh Jung (R) 3B

3) Brandon Nimmo (L) RF

4) Jake Burger (R) 1B

5) Ezequiel Durán (R) SS

6) Alejandro Osuna (L) LF

7) Evan Carter (L) CF

8) Kyle Higashioka (R) C

9) Nicky Lopez (L) 2B

Starting Pitcher: LHP Mackenzie Gore (4-4, 3.96 ERA)

St. Louis Cardinals (31-28):

1) Masyn Winn (R) SS

2) Iván Herrera (R) C

3) Jordan Walker (R) RF

4) Nelson Velázquez (R) DH

5) Alec Burleson (L) 1B

6) José Fermín (R) LF

7) Nolan Gorman (L) 3B

8) Thomas Saggese (R) 2B

9) Victor Scott II (L) CF

Starting Pitcher: RHP Andre Pallante (5-4, 4.19 ERA)

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO — In the final game of the three-game series, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers 5-3, thanks in part to first baseman Alec Burleson’s big day at the plate.

The Cardinals would draw first blood thanks to working walks against Rangers’ starter Mackenzie Gore.

Jordan Walker reached on a fielder’s choice with two away. Nelson Velazquez drew a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. One batter later, Burleson plated the first run of the game with an RBI single to right field to put the Cardinals up 1-0.

The Rangers would tie the game in the top of the third inning.

Kyle Higashioka reached base on a single to center field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Josh Jung would hit a ball back up the middle to center field, scoring Higashioka on an RBI single to tie the game at 1 apiece.

The Cardinals would reclaim the lead in the bottom of the third.

Jordan Walker led off the bottom of the third with a single to right field, and Nelson Velazquez would leg out a double to left field to put two in scoring position with no one away. One hitter later, Burleson would plate two with an RBI double, to put the Cardinals back in front 3-1. Burleson drove in his third run of the game.

The Cardinals would score again in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Jose Fermin hit a double to left field, and two batters later, Thomas Saggese hit an RBI triple to tack onto the Cardinals’ lead 4-1, knocking Rangers’ starter Gore out of the game.

The Cardinals would scratch across another run in the bottom of the sixth with two outs.

Walker hit a ball up the middle to center field and would steal second base during the next at-bat. One batter later, Nelson Velázquez would bring in another run with an RBI single, putting the Cardinals up 5-1.

The Rangers would get two runs back in the top of the seventh inning.

Justin Foscue hit a double to right field to lead off the top of the seventh inning. Higashioka drew a walk to put two on with no one out. Two batters later, Joc Pederson would drop a ball into right-center field to plate two with an RBI triple, cutting the deficit to 5-3.

Mackenzie Gore – photo courtesy of the Dallas Morning News

The Good: Cardinal’s first baseman, Alec Burleson, had a great night at the plate — he drove in 3 of the 5 of the Red Birds’ runs with two hits.

The Bad/The Ugly: Rangers’ starter Mackenzie Gore wasn’t sharp on the mound tonight. After a 31-pitch first inning, he never seemed to find his groove, giving up 4 runs on 9 hits across four and two-thirds innings pitched.

-Matt Koper

Founder of Koper’s Korner