Cardinals Rally for 7-6 Win Over Nationals, Royals Fall to Guardians

St. Louis comes back in 10th inning, Cleveland walks off against Kansas City

Apr. 8, 2026 at 4:30pm

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The St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, with Thomas Saggese hitting a go-ahead double in the 10th inning. Nathan Church and Jordan Walker homered for the Cardinals, who scored five runs against the Nationals' struggling bullpen. In Cleveland, Brayan Rocchio's ninth-inning single drove in the winning run as the Guardians defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1.

Why it matters

The Cardinals' comeback win keeps them in the hunt in the NL Central, while the Royals' loss continues their struggles in the AL Central. Both teams are looking to make a push for the playoffs as the season enters the final stretch.

The details

For the Cardinals, Nathan Church and Jordan Walker hit home runs, and the team rallied against the Nationals' bullpen to secure the victory. In Cleveland, Brayan Rocchio's walk-off single in the ninth inning gave the Guardians the win over the Royals.

  • The Cardinals-Nationals game was played on Tuesday night.
  • The Guardians-Royals game was also played on Tuesday.

The players

Thomas Saggese

A Cardinals player who hit the go-ahead double in the 10th inning to give St. Louis the win.

Nathan Church

A Cardinals player who hit a home run in the game.

Jordan Walker

A Cardinals player who also hit a home run in the game.

Brayan Rocchio

A Guardians player who hit the walk-off single to defeat the Royals.

CJ Kayfus

The Guardians player who scored the winning run in the ninth inning.

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What they’re saying

“We knew we had to keep battling against their bullpen. It was a big win for us to come back like that.”

— Thomas Saggese, Cardinals Player

“That was a tough one to swallow, but we'll regroup and come back strong tomorrow.”

— Brayan Rocchio, Guardians Player

What’s next

The Cardinals and Nationals will face off again on Wednesday in the series finale, while the Guardians and Royals will continue their series on Wednesday as well.

The takeaway

The Cardinals' comeback win and the Guardians' walk-off victory demonstrate the unpredictable nature of baseball, as both teams were able to rally late to secure important victories. These results will likely have implications in the playoff races as the season winds down.