Cardinals 7, Diamondbacks 6
Pinch-hitter Tony Cruz hit a walk-off double in the ninth inning to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-6 come-from-behind win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Albert Pujols hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth and finished with three RBIs for St. Louis, which avoided a season-high fourth straight home loss by rallying from a 5-1 deficit.
Lance Berkman led off the ninth with a single off Joe Patterson (0-3). Two batters later, Cruz ripped a 1-2 fastball into the right-center field gap.
St. Louis trailed 6-3 heading into the eighth, but Jon Jay scored when All-Star center fielder Justin Upton misplayed a popup by Ryan Theriot. Pujols, who had been 1-for-12 since returning from the disabled list, later tied it at 6 by drilling a 1-1 fastball from Yhency Brazoban off the overhang in left field.
It was Pujols’ first homer since June 19, the same day he suffered a fractured left wrist.
Fernando Salas (5-2) pitched a perfect ninth to earn the win.
Pitcher Daniel Hudson had two RBIs, and Chris Young, Kelly Johnson and Ryan Roberts each drove in a run for Arizona, which fell to 5-4 on a 10-game road trip.