Leo Bernal’s two-run home run capped a three-run eighth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 5-3 win against the visiting Washington Nationals on Sunday to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Ivan Herrera tied it 3-3 with one out when he hit his second solo homer of the day, a shot over the Nationals’ bullpen in left-center off Erik Tolman. With two outs, Yovanny Cruz (0-2) came on and walked Jordan Walker before Bernal fouled off three 1-2 pitches and homered to center.
Luis Gastelum (5-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win, and Riley O’Brien worked the ninth for his 38th save. Left fielder Victor Scott II aided O’Brien with a diving catch to record the first out.
Jose Fermin had two hits for the Cardinals (76-80), who had lost four straight.
CJ Abrams homered, and Daylen Lile had a double and a single for Washington (73-83), which had won six of seven.
Washington’s bullpen was charged with its 42nd blown save of the season.
Herrera gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead when he homered off Jake Irvin with one out in the first.
The Nationals tied it in the second when Lile and Harry Ford hit back-to-back one-out singles, and Lile scored on a Jacob Young sacrifice fly.
Fermin led off the St. Louis third with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on JJ Wetherholt’s single.
Brady House singled to lead off the Washington sixth, and Abrams homered to right, his 31st of the season, to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. With two outs, Lile doubled but was out trying to stretch it to a triple.
Bernal walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but Will Dion retired the next two batters before Fermin singled and Nathan Church flied out.
Irvin gave up two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and did not issue a walk.
St. Louis starter Quinn Mathews allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings.
