Burleson Unleashes the Fury: Cardinals Blast Phillies 7-1, Clinch Series with a Fifth-Inning Explosion
ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals didn't just beat the Phillies on Wednesday. They took them behind the woodshed and delivered a 7-1 beating that had the hometown crowd roaring. Alec Burleson was the man with the smoking bat, driving in three runs and punctuating a four-run fifth inning that broke the game wide open against Zack Wheeler.
Burleson finished the series a ridiculous 5-for-10 with two doubles and five RBI, helping St. Louis take two of three from Philadelphia and climb to 61-60, one game over .500. Both squads are fighting tooth and nail for an NL wild-card spot, but on this night, only one team looked like they wanted it.
Fifth-Inning Fireworks
With two outs in the fifth, the Cardinals suddenly found an unstoppable rhythm. Rookie César Prieto snapped an ugly 0-for-27 skid with a single to right — his first hit of the season and just the second of his career. Then JJ Wetherholt kept the line moving with a single. Iván Herrera battled through a 3-2 count and delivered a fastball single that scored Prieto. Boom.
Burleson didn't waste any time, ripping a two-run double to right to make it 4-1. Jordan Walker followed with another double to plate Burleson, and just like that, the Phillies were toast. Four straight hits, four runs, all with two outs. Baseball is cruel like that.
Leahy Locks It Down
Kyle Leahy wasn't flashy, but he was effective. The right-hander (9-4) worked five innings, surrendering one run on six hits while striking out six and issuing zero walks. He didn't dominate, but he was more than enough to guide the Cardinals to their third straight series win — a feat they hadn't pulled off all season.
Early Strikes and Defensive Gaffes
The Cardinals grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second when Phillies first baseman Alex Bohm botched a grounder off Walker's bat. Walker swiped second and eventually scored on Nathan Church's double to left.
Philadelphia answered in the fourth when Bryce Harper doubled and scored on Luis Arraez's two-bagger, but that was the extent of their damage. The Phillies had no answer for Burleson & Co., especially after the Cardinals added two more in the seventh on Burleson's RBI single.
What's Next
The Phillies are heading to a cornfield, sure — but it's not a vacation. They'll face Minnesota in Thursday's Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa, with Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.47 ERA) taking the mound against Twins righty Taj Bradley (9-4, 3.76).
The Cardinals, meanwhile, take their newfound swagger to Wrigley Field for a Friday showdown with the Cubs. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore (5-9, 5.15) gets the ball against a Chicago starter still to be announced.
This Redbirds team is heating up at the perfect time. Watch out, NL wild-card field — St. Louis is coming.