Max Kepler walks off Cardinals, as Diamondbacks come back from 7 runs down

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Max Kepler laced a walk-off double to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7 in 10 innings and cap a seven-run comeback on Sunday at Chase Field.

The Diamondbacks trailed 7-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning of what looked like a deflating clunker of a series finale at Chase Field.

Ace Eduardo Rodriguez was chased in a five-run third inning, the offense had one hit, and the Cardinals seemed poised to take a 2.5-game lead for the third National League Wild Card spot.

Instead, the Diamondbacks mounted what is tied for the largest comeback in franchise history, matching a 2022 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Corbin Carroll’s MLB debut.

The win paired with losses from St. Louis and the Miami Marlins moved the Diamondbacks to 0.5 games back of the third NL Wild Card spot at 51-48.

Sunday’s comeback featured two bases-loaded walks, a Geraldo Perdomo inside-the-park home run and a game-tying home run from Nolan Arenado.

Arenado’s two-run home run in the eighth inning was his 1,999th career hit.

“Just to come back like that was incredible,” Arenado said. “Probably our best win of the year. We fought and didn’t give in. We could have easily done that, we didn’t, so that was great.”

Arizona did not score in the ninth inning, which involved Carroll being pinch-hit for with Jorge Barrosa.

Carroll looked to be in discomfort on a swing when he struck out in his previous at-bat, but he had stayed in the game to play defense for the time being. Manager Torey Lovullo said postgame that Carroll is day-to-day with a hyperextended right elbow.

Juan Morillo stranded the ghost runner in the 10th inning thanks to an apparent baserunning blunder from Bryan Torres, who was doubled off first base on a broken-bat flare out to Perdomo.

Kepler fell behind Cardinals reliever Luis Gastelum 0-2, but he dug out a low changeup deep to left field, scoring Barrosa.

“I remember facing him before and looking foolish on one of his bunny-hop changeups,” Kepler said. “So that was in the back of my head and then obviously the rise heater. Ideally I just wanted to put the ball in play and kind of move Barrosa, hit the ball to the right side and luckily I got one there and it kind of popped and I stayed back on it.”

Eduardo Rodriguez struggles for 1st time in a long time

After pitching in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, Rodriguez failed to escape a brutal third inning against the Cardinals in which five runs scored on six hits.

He walked Lars Nootbaar on four pitches to lead off the frame and allowed four straight hits after that. His command was not sharp, as he threw 39 strikes out of 68 pitches.

Rodriguez had not allowed more than four runs in a start this season, and it had been over a month since he surrendered more than two runs in a game (June 6).

And yet, the D-backs improved to 15-5 in his 20 starts this year.

“I know what I have in the bullpen. I know what I have in the lineup, and they went out there and they executed and we ended up coming back and winning the game,” Rodriguez said. “Which is the most important part right now. Bad starts are going to be there. Today was me. I wasn’t executing all my pitches, and I paid for it, but we ended up winning the game.”

His ERA increased from 2.29 to 2.62.

Sunday attendance

28,069

Athletics coming to town

The Diamondbacks start a three-game series against the struggling Athletics on Monday with Mitch Bratt (0-0, 6.00 ERA) making his third MLB start. The A’s will start left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-9, 6.08 ERA).

The A’s snapped a 10-game losing streak on Saturday but lost their series finale against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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