Cardinals Rally Late to Take Series from Guardians

Timely hits, stolen bases power St. Louis comeback victory

Apr. 16, 2026 at 6:57am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game in motion, with overlapping shapes and planes representing the players, field, and action. The vibrant colors of the teams' uniforms stand out against the fragmented visual style.The Cardinals' scrappy, small-ball approach powers their comeback victory over the Guardians.St. Louis Today

The St. Louis Cardinals overcame an early 1-0 deficit with a late-inning rally, mixing timely singles, productive outs, and stolen bases to score three runs in the 6th inning and defeat the Cleveland Guardians 5-3 and win the series.

Why it matters

The Cardinals' comeback victory showcases their ability to manufacture runs through small-ball tactics like base-stealing and situational hitting, rather than relying solely on home runs. This win helps the Cardinals maintain their position in the NL Central division race.

The details

Starter Dustin May pitched six strong innings, allowing just one run on six hits, as the Cardinals' defense turned two double plays behind him. In the 6th inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases on a single, sacrifice bunt, and walk, then took the lead on a sacrifice fly by rookie JJ Wetherholt. Alec Burleson followed with a two-RBI single to make it 4-1. Nathan Church added an RBI double in the 7th to provide insurance.

  • The Cardinals overcame a 1-0 deficit in the 1st inning.
  • The decisive 3-run rally occurred in the 6th inning.
  • Nathan Church's RBI double came in the 7th inning.

The players

Dustin May

The Cardinals' starting pitcher, who continued his strong recent stretch with six innings of one-run ball.

Nathan Church

The Cardinals outfielder had three hits, scored a run, and drove in another to key the offense.

JJ Wetherholt

The Cardinals rookie leadoff hitter reached base three times and drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly.

Alec Burleson

The Cardinals outfielder delivered a two-RBI single in the 6th inning to extend the lead.

Riley O'Brien

The Cardinals reliever earned the save, protecting their late-inning lead.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We just kept grinding and putting pressure on them. That's the kind of offense we want to be - scrappy, smart, and able to manufacture runs when we need to.”

— Dustin May, Cardinals Pitcher

What’s next

The Cardinals will look to build on this series win as they continue their homestand, hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates for a three-game set starting on Friday.

The takeaway

The Cardinals' comeback victory demonstrated their ability to win games through small-ball tactics like stolen bases and situational hitting, rather than relying solely on home runs. This versatility will serve them well as they battle for position in the competitive NL Central division race.