Cardinals Rally Past Nationals in Extra Innings

Thomas Saggese delivers go-ahead double in 10th to lift St. Louis

Apr. 8, 2026 at 4:10pm

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The St. Louis Cardinals rallied late to defeat the Washington Nationals 7-6 in extra innings on Tuesday night. Thomas Saggese opened the 10th inning with a go-ahead double, and JJ Wetherholt followed with an RBI double to extend the lead. The Cardinals erased a late deficit with home runs from Jordan Walker and Nathan Church.

Why it matters

The comeback win keeps the Cardinals in the playoff hunt in the competitive National League Central division, while the Nationals continue to struggle to find consistency this season.

The details

St. Louis took advantage of Washington's struggling bullpen, scoring five runs late in the game after the Nationals entered with one of the highest bullpen ERAs in the league. James Wood homered for the third straight game for Washington, and Curtis Mead also contributed a home run and two RBIs. George Soriano earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief for the Cardinals, while Riley O'Brien picked up the save despite allowing a run in the 10th.

  • The game was played on Tuesday night.
  • The series between the Cardinals and Nationals will wrap up on Wednesday.

The players

Thomas Saggese

A Cardinals infielder who delivered the go-ahead double in the 10th inning.

JJ Wetherholt

A Cardinals player who followed Saggese's double with an RBI double to extend the lead.

Jordan Walker

A Cardinals player who hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to pull the team within two runs.

Nathan Church

A Cardinals player who hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to tie the game.

James Wood

A Nationals player who homered for the third straight game.

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What they’re saying

“This was a huge win for us to rally back like that. The bullpen did a great job keeping us in it and allowing us to come back.”

— Thomas Saggese, Cardinals Infielder

What’s next

The Cardinals and Nationals will wrap up their series on Wednesday.

The takeaway

The Cardinals' comeback win showcases their resilience and ability to capitalize on their opponent's bullpen struggles, keeping them in the playoff hunt in the tight NL Central race. For the Nationals, the loss is another setback in their efforts to find consistency this season.