Tampa Bay Rays vs St. Louis Cardinals Box Score on Aug 25, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 26, 2017

ST. LOUIS -- It was another rough start for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha and another outstanding performance by the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen.

After knocking out Wacha following 3 1/3 innings, Tampa Bay got 5 1/3 scoreless innings out of its relief corps to secure a 7-3 win on Friday night at Busch Stadium.

Sergio Romo (1-0) retired all six hitters he faced to pick up the win after starter Jake Odorizzi lasted just 3 2/3 innings. Odorizzi gave up three hits and three runs, walking four and fanning four.

The Rays (64-66), who got 4 2/3 scoreless innings from their bullpen in a 2-0 win Thursday over Toronto, stayed three games behind Minnesota for the American League's second wild-card spot.

Corey Dickerson paced Tampa Bay's 16-hit attack, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and a walk. Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits and two RBIs, and Kevin Kiermaier tacked on a two-run single in the ninth for insurance.

Wacha (9-7) lost his third straight start, allowing nine hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.

St. Louis (64-64) lost for the eighth time in 11 games, missing a chance to gain ground in the National League Central and wild-card races. It remained 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the division and five games behind Colorado for the second wild card.

St. Louis initiated scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Dexter Fowler lofted a sacrifice fly to center that plated Stephen Piscotty.

Tampa Bay took the lead in the third with a four-run outburst. Steven Souza Jr. blasted a 434-foot homer into the third deck in left field. Hechavarria ripped a two-run double down the left field line and Odorizzi knocked in a run with a two-out infield single.

Yadier Molina's sacrifice fly in the third cut the Rays' lead to 4-2, but a two-out RBI double by Dickerson in the fourth made it 5-2.

Kolten Wong belted his third homer of the year in the bottom of the fourth, a 421-foot shot to right center, to pull the Cardinals within two runs again.

NOTES: Tampa Bay signed INF Danny Espinosa and optioned INF Daniel Robertson to Triple-A Durham. Espinosa, who batted eighth and played second base, hit .164 with six homers and 31 RBI in 85 games with the Angels and Mariners. ... St. Louis 1B Matt Carpenter (virus) was back in the lineup after a two-game absence, hitting in his customary leadoff spot. ... The Rays assigned INF Trevor Plouffe to Durham after he cleared waivers.