Burleson’s 9th-Inning Single, Donovan’s 4 Doubles Lift Cardinals 9-8

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a wild late-inning rally to stun the San Francisco Giants 9-8 on Tuesday night at Oracle Park. It was a game packed with twists, big homers, and even a bizarre broken-bat moment.

St. Louis clawed back from a four-run deficit and officially knocked the Giants out of playoff contention. Alec Burleson’s go-ahead RBI single in the ninth capped a comeback fueled by Brendan Donovan’s historic night, Iván Herrera’s homer, and Nolan Arenado’s hot bat.

Cardinals’ Ninth-Inning Heroics

Down 8-7 in the ninth, the Cardinals just wouldn’t quit. Donovan, already with three doubles, ripped his career-best fourth double to tie the game against Giants closer Ryan Walker.

Burleson followed up by lining a single to right, driving in the winning run. The visitors’ dugout erupted.

Brendan Donovan’s Career Night

Donovan was on fire. Four doubles in a single game? That’s a rare feat in the majors.

His knack for finding the gaps kept the Giants’ pitchers on their heels and sparked the Cardinals’ offense when they needed it most.

Power Surge Fuels the Comeback

St. Louis showed off its offensive depth all night. After falling behind 8-4, the Cardinals started their push in the seventh.

Iván Herrera crushed a three-run homer, dragging them right back into the fight. Moments later, Nolan Arenado launched a solo shot, slicing the deficit to just one.

Balanced Offensive Attack

St. Louis mixed power with smart hitting:

• Iván Herrera – Three-run homer in the seventh.
• Nolan Arenado – Solo home run to keep hope alive.
• Brendan Donovan – Four doubles, tying a Cardinals record.
• Alec Burleson – Ninth-inning RBI to seal the game.

Pitching Contributions Under Pressure

The Cardinals’ bullpen deserves some love for shutting down the Giants late. Matt Svanson tossed a scoreless eighth to earn the win, staying cool in a tense spot.

Closer JoJo Romero ran into trouble in the ninth, putting a runner in scoring position with two outs. Riley O’Brien came in and got the final out, locking down his sixth save of the season.

Logan Webb’s Effort for San Francisco

Giants starter Logan Webb had a rough first inning, giving up three runs. He settled down and ended up throwing six innings with five strikeouts.

His rebound helped San Francisco build its lead, but the bullpen couldn’t finish the job.

Giants’ Early Lead and Painful Elimination

San Francisco looked in control heading into the late innings. Heliot Ramos hit a solo homer in the sixth, and Patrick Bailey added an RBI double.

Those runs gave the Giants an 8-4 cushion, but they couldn’t hold on. The loss officially knocked them out of playoff contention—a tough blow in a season that never quite clicked.

A Strange First-Inning Moment

The game even had one of the strangest plays you’ll see all year. In the first inning, Thomas Saggese’s bat shattered on contact, and the barrel got stuck in home plate umpire Malachi Moore’s mask.

Somehow, Moore stayed in the game, laughing it off and showing some serious toughness.

Looking Ahead: Series Finale

The Cardinals want to keep their momentum rolling into Wednesday’s finale. They’ll send Sonny Gray to the mound.

The Giants answer with veteran lefty Robbie Ray. At this point, he’s pitching more for pride than anything else.

For St. Louis, finishing the series strong isn’t just about the win. It’s about grabbing some confidence as the season winds down.

This clash at Oracle Park really showed how unpredictable baseball can be. One moment, it feels like you’ve got the game in hand—then it flips, just like that.

The Cardinals showed off some timely hitting and solid bullpen work. Their refusal to quit turned what looked like a loss into a win that, honestly, fans might remember for a while.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Burleson hits go-ahead single in 9th, Donovan adds career-best 4 doubles, Cardinals beat Giants 9-8