By MATT PIKE
Alec Burleson drove in three runs, Andre Pallante threw 5.2 innings of one-run ball, and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers 5-3 at Busch Stadium, avoiding a sweep and snapping the Rangers five game win streak.
Burleson hit a two-out RBI single in the first inning, driving in Jordan Walker with two outs, after Walker reached first on a forceout. But in the third inning, Josh Jung answered for Texas with a run-scoring single, bringing home Kyle Higashioka to tie up the game.
The Cardinals had three straight hits to begin their half of the third, and Burleson drove in Walker and Nelson Velázquez with a double to right field that made it 3-1. In the fifth inning the Redbirds extended that lead as Thomas Saggese drove in José Fermín with his first career triple, and in the sixth inning Nelson Velázquez brought Walker home with a single to put St. Louis up 5-1.
Pallante, who earned the win improving to 6-4 on the season, allowed three hits and struck out five, giving up one run with two walks, in his 5.2 innings. Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero gave up the only other runs to the Rangers, a two-run triple by Joc Pederson, which scored Justin Foscue and Higashioka in the seventh inning. Riley O'Brien worked the ninth inning for his 15th save.
At the plate, Burleson was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Walker was 3-for-4 with a stolen base and three runs scored. Saggese was 2-for-4 with a triple, a stolen base, and an RBI, while Velázquez was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. The Cardinals improved to 26-3 when leading after seven innings and got back to .500 at home.
St. Louis will be off on Thursday, before continuing their homestand on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds. Kyle Leahy (5-3, 4.25 ERA, 46K's) starts for the Cardinals opposite Brady Singer (2-5, 6.18 ERA, 36K's) for the Reds. First pitch is at 7:15pm, coverage will begin at 7:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM) on Friday.
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