Bruján hits RBI single in 10th to lift Marlins to 9-8 win over Cardinals

Updated Jun. 18, 2024 10:29 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Vidal Bruján drove in the winning run with a single in the 10th inning and the Miami Marlins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-8 on Tuesday night to snap a six-game skid.

Nick Gordon reached on a one-out infield single against Chris Roycroft (1-1) that advanced automatic runner Jesús Sánchez to third. Tim Anderson followed with an RBI infield single, tying it at 8-all. Otto Lopez’s groundout advanced Gordon and Anderson before Bruján's soft liner to center field gave Miami its sixth walk-off win of the season.

It was Bruján’s first career walk-off hit. In a similar opportunity Monday, Bruján fouled out in the 10th inning.

“I understand I didn’t come through (Monday) but that’s how baseball is. Baseball is all about opportunities,” Bruján said. “Today I was given another opportunity and I responded. I came more focused, looking for my pitch.”

Dylan Carlson’s sacrifice fly against reliever Calvin Faucher (2-1) in the top of the 10th put St. Louis ahead.

Faucher was the fifth Marlins reliever who combined limited the Cardinals to one unearned run over the last six innings.

“A lot of good things happened today, obviously, the bullpen was lights out,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “They did a fantastic job.”

Sánchez homered, doubled and singled, while Christian Bethancourt also went deep for the Marlins.

“Even his outs are loud,” Schumaker said of Sánchez. “He’s locked in right now. If we can get him somehow to be consistent, he’s going to be really, really good.”

Paul Goldschmidt, Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson homered for the Cardinals, who squandered four leads.

St. Louis snapped a 4-all tie on Brandon Crawford’s RBI groundout and Michael Siani’s run-scoring single against Miami starter Roddery Muñoz in the third. Burleson’s solo shot off Muñoz in the fourth made it 7-4.

Bethancourt narrowed the gap with an RBI groundout in the fourth and a solo shot that ended Cardinals starter Lance Lynn’s outing in the sixth.

Lynn gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The veteran right-hander has allowed 12 earned runs over 13 2/3 innings in his last three outings.

“He got ahead of a decent amount of guys but pitched through some traffic,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We were able to score some runs but unfortunately, not enough.”

Matthew Liberatore gave up Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s one-out single and Bryan De La Cruz’s single that advanced Chisholm to third. Chisholm raced home on Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly.

Muñoz was lifted after four innings. The rookie right-hander gave up seven runs and eight hits in his sixth career start.

Sánchez’s three-run homer in the bottom of the first erased a 2-0 deficit after Goldschmidt’s two-run blast in the top half gave St. Louis the quick lead.

Donovan put the Cardinals ahead again in the second with a two-run homer. But Miami tied it in the bottom half on Chisholm’s sacrifice fly.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: INF Masyn Winn was a late scratch because of an illness. Marmol said Winn vomited before the game but recovered sufficiently that he was on deck to pinch hit in the ninth when the inning ended. Catcher Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) went 1 for 3 as designated hitter in a rehab game with Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday and is scheduled to catch five innings with the minor league club Wednesday. 3B Nolan Arenado had the night off.

UP NEXT

RHP Kyle Gibson (5-2, 3.44) will start the series finale for the Cardinals on Wednesday. The Marlins have not announced a starter.

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