Five-Run Ninth Helps Red Sox Prevail Over Cardinals

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

April 11, 2026

Red Sox 7, Cardinals 1

The Boston Red Sox netted their fifth win on the season with a 7–1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night in Busch Stadium. A late rally from the Red Sox in the ninth resulted in five scored, meaning Aroldis Chapman didn’t have to pitch in the ninth as originally planed.

Red Sox-Cardinals Game Summary

After throwing 27 pitches in the first inning, Ranger Suarez threw 21 combined in the next two frames. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the offense couldn’t do much outside of getting one runner on base. Even when they did in the second and third innings, starter Kyle Leahy coaxed double plays both times.

That changed in the fourth inning. With two runners on, former Cardinal Willson Contreras lined a double down the left field line to score Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran to make it a 2–0 ballgame. Despite Carlos Narvaez coming to bat with the bases loaded and two outs, those runners were stranded. Leahy finished the inning before Gordon Graceffo took over to start the fifth.

The Red Sox found themselves with the bases loaded and one out. Justin Bruihl did his best to limit the damage, striking out Anthony and getting Caleb Durbin to fly to right field.

The Cardinals got two runners on in the bottom of the seventh as Greg Weissert struggled to end the rally. Danny Coulombe went on with two outs and got Yohel Pozo to fly out and keep the Cardinals scoreless.

It took until the eighth inning for the Cardinals to break through. That was when Jordan Walker hit his sixth home run on the season, which ties the league lead. That was all that Garrett Whitlock surrendered in the eighth, however.

Ninth Inning Rally

Matt Svanson, after pitching the eighth, came in for the ninth. Deja Vu struck once again, as the Red Sox had runners on the corners with one out. This time, Ceddanne Rafaela got himself an RBI single to give some insurance. Durbin would once again have the bases loaded.

This time he came through, driving in a pair of runs to make it 5–1, and no longer a save situation. When it rained, it poured as Duran notched another RBI single to make it 6–1. Contreras, not content with his statline, added an RBI single of his own, making it 7–1 and finally ending Svanson’s night. A five-run ninth inning from the Red Sox before Jared Shuster got the last two outs.

Ryan Watson got the ball in the ninth inning. Despite the Cardinals getting two runners on in the ninth, no additional runs scored.

What Went Right for the Red Sox

Suarez Catching Up

Suarez went six scoreless innings while striking out six and allowing only five baserunners, three of which came in the first inning. Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz talked on the television broadcast about how pitchers like Suarez was needing to find his groove mid-season, as opposed to in training camp.

Insurance of the Finest Order

After combining for four hits in the first eight innings, the Red Sox notched six of them in the ninth, and scoring five in the process.

What Went Wrong for the Red Sox

No Shutout

The only real mistake was the one pitch Whitlock left up in the zone to Jordan Walker. That and the Red Sox lineup was not great in the first eight innings outside of Contreras two-run double in the fourth.