Yankees Small-Ball 8 Runs to Sweep Cardinals! NY 8 St. Louis 4

August 18, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Cody Bellinger rips a grounder to 1st that goes thru due to an error by 2nd baseman Thomas Saggese for 2 runs and a 6-4 Yankee lead in the 9th.

The Yankees small-balled 8 (eight) runs, including 4 in the top of the 9th, to beat the Cardinals 8-4 on a HOT, HUMID Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium in St. Louis — sweeping the 3-game series.

Paul Goldschmidt led the Yanks with 3 hits, including 2 doubles — the final one an RBI double in the 9th to put the icing on the cake and give NY an 8-4 lead. The Yanks scored all afternoon on singles, sac flies, and speed on the basepaths by the likes of Jose Caballero and Jazz Chisholm.

Caballero started the 9th-inning rally by getting on due to an error by 2nd baseman Thomas Saggese, who rushed his throw to 1st because of Caballero’s speed — Caballero going to 2nd on the bad throw. Caballero then went to 3rd on a passed ball. The Yanks worked walks to load the bases, and a Cody Bellinger grounder went thru the infield for a 6-4 Yankee lead.

Luke Weaver wrapped up with a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th to get the win, after having gotten the last 2 outs of the 8th. Will Warren started for the Yanks and pitched well into the 5th in the HOT, HUMID HEAT — a Yankee infield error in the 4th and 5th innings leading to runs and a tie game.

“Just a really good job of putting the ball in play there,” said manager Aaron Boone about the 4 runs in the 9th. “Good way to finish off the game into an off day.”

NY improves to 67-57, and pulls within 5.5 of Toronto and .5 of Boston, which both lost. St. Louis drops to 61-64.

1. Yanks Small-Ball 3 Runs in 4th

The story of the game at the start was the HEAT. It was HOT — 98 degrees — and HUMID. The stands all around Busch Stadium were sparsely populated as it seemed people found other things to do on the HOT day than sit in the blazing sun.

St. Louis started 36-year-old, 6’4 righty Miles Mikolas — who is in his 7th year with St Louis after coming up with San Diego. Mikolas came in with a 6-9 4.97 record. His best season was 2018 when he went 18-4 2.83.

Mikolas shut the Yanks out through the first 3 innings — the Yanks working only a walk on him in each of the first 3 innings (by Ben Rice in the 1st; by Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the 2nd, who promptly stole 2nd base; and by Ben Rice again in the 3rd).

Chisholm worked another walk against Mikolas with 1 out in the 4th — and Paul Goldschmidt followed with a double to center for the first Yankee hit of the game.

The Yanks then plated 3 runs on 3 straight singles — started by a Jasson Dominguez chopper to 2nd for a run.

Ryan McMahon then singled to right to make it 2-0 Yanks.

Jose Caballero then singled to right to make it 3-0 Yanks.

2. Warren Good — But Defense Deserts Him in HOT 4th & 5th

Meanwhile Will Warren was pitching well in the HUMID HEAT, although he worked around 2 singles in the 3rd.

In the bottom of the 4th however, Herrera got on due to an error at 3rd by Ryan McMahon.

Warren then got a fly out, walked a batter, and got a pop out — which should have ended the inning — but runners were on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. Thomas Saggese ripped a double to right center “just” over Cody Bellinger’s glove for a 3-2 game, before Warren got a groundout to end the inning.

The defense hurt Warren in the 5th as well — Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a throwing error to start the inning, allowing Lars Nootbar to get on.

Warren struck out Winn, but Burleson singled in a run to tie the game 3-3. Warren got Herrera to fly out, and was relieved at 95 pitches.

Devin Williams came in and issued a walk, before getting a strikeout to end the threat.

3. Cardinals Take 4-3 Lead on Pozo HR Off Doval

Camilo Doval came into the 3-3 tie to pitch the bottom of the 6th, and immediately coughed up a solo HR to Yohel Pozo for a 4-3 Cardinal lead.

Doval then got 3 straight outs in the 6th.

4. Yanks Tie It 4-4 with Small Ball in 7th

But the Yanks came right back to tie the score in the top of the 7th. Trent Grisham led off with a walk against lefty Kyle Leahy.

Leahy struck out Ben Rice, and was relieved by righty Riley O’Brien to pitch to righty Aaron Judge — who met him with a single to right, sending Grisham to 3rd.

Cody Bellinger then hit a sac fly to center for a 4-4 tie.

5. Hill Good

Doval started the bottom of 7th after the Yanks had tied the game in the top of the 7th — and nearly coughed up a solo HR again when Masyn Winn ripped a HR just foul — then grounded out.

Tim Hill came in to get the final 2 outs of the 7th, and the first out of the 8th — 3 straight batters retired.

Luke Weaver got the last 2 outs of the 8th, in between walking a batter and so it was to the 9th in a 4-4 game — the Yanks looking for the sweep.

6. Yanks Small Ball 4 Runs in 9th

Jose Caballero’s speed got the Yankee rally going in the 9th against St Louis reliever JoJo Romero. Caballero leading off hit a routine grounder to 2nd that Thomas Saggese rushed his throw on — throwing wide of 1st for an error as Caballero went to 2nd.

Trent Grisham then showed bunt — which caused the catcher to drop the ball and Caballero went to 3rd on a passed ball.

Trent Grisham grounded out — Caballero holding on 3rd — but Giancarlo Stanton walked (Anthony Volpe pinch running for him), and Aaron Judge was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Cody Bellinger then ripped a shot through the right side that went through — error charged to Thomas Saggese — for 2 runs and a 6-4 Yankee lead.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. then grounded out to 2nd for another run — NY 7 St. Louis 4.

Righty reliever Jorge Alcala was brought in, and Paul Goldschmidt put icing on the cake with an RBI double to right to make it 8-4.

7. Weaver Closes

Luke Weaver finished with a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th — groundout, pop out, fly out — for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401696770

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