ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — JJ Wetherholt’s two-run single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals, who improved to 2-0, won in walk-off fashion after the Rays scored four runs in the ninth and one in the 10th to take a late lead. St. Louis led 2-0 early behind starter Michael McGreevy, who threw six hitless innings. Tampa Bay’s Joe Boyle allowed two runs over six frames. The Rays’ comeback was undone in the final inning. Ryne Stanek earned the win in relief, while Griffin Jax took the loss. Attendance was 25,951.

ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — In a game defined by dominant pitching, defensive lapses, and a furious late-inning rally, the St. Louis Cardinals walked off with a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in 10 innings on Saturday afternoon and evening at Busch Stadium. The contest, which saw the Cardinals squander a late lead only to reclaim it dramatically in the final frame, improved St. Louis to 2-0 on the young season while dropping the Rays to 0-2. For eight innings, the story was the starting pitchers. St. Louis right-hander Michael McGreevy was brilliant, tossing six perfect innings with five strikeouts. He retired all 18 batters he faced, not allowing a hit or a walk. His counterpart, Tampa Bay’s Joe Boyle, was nearly as sharp, limiting a potent Cardinals lineup to two runs on three hits over six innings of work. Both runs came in the first inning on RBI singles by Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman, staking St. Louis to an early 2-0 lead. That score held firm into the eighth inning, as the Rays’ offense was utterly stifled. The Cardinals added two critical insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth against Rays reliever Cole Sulser, capitalizing on a costly error. After a walk to Jordan Walker and a sacrifice bunt by Victor Scott II that catcher Nick Fortes mishandled, Iván Herrera delivered an RBI double. Burleson followed with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 4-0, seemingly putting the game out of reach. The most important part of the game, however, unfolded in the top of the ninth. Facing Cardinals reliever Ryne Stanek, the Rays’ dormant offense erupted for four runs to tie the game. The rally was sparked by a one-out single from Jonathan Aranda and fueled by a key error. With two outs, Chandler Simpson hit a ground ball to second baseman JJ Wetherholt, who committed a throwing error, allowing Aranda to score the Rays’ first run. Carson Williams then cleared the bases with a two-run single, and Nick Fortes followed with an RBI single to knot the score at 4-4. After Bryan Baker worked a perfect bottom of the ninth for Tampa Bay, the game moved to extra innings. The Rays took their first lead of the day in the top of the 10th when Yandy Díaz singled home the automatic runner, making it 5-4. In the bottom of the 10th, the Cardinals mounted their final answer against Rays reliever Griffin Jax. After an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out, Wetherholt atoned for his earlier error. The second baseman lined a single into right field, scoring Nathan Church and Jordan Walker to trigger a celebratory mob at home plate and secure the walk-off win. Wetherholt finished 2 for 5 with two RBIs, including the game-winner. Stanek, despite blowing the save, was credited with the win. Jax took the loss. The game, played before a crowd of 25,951, lasted 2 hours, 43 minutes. The 11 total runs scored went under the pregame over/under line of 8, defying the high-scoring projection of many simulations. The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Sunday. The Rays will look to avoid a season-opening sweep before heading to Milwaukee, while the Cardinals aim to start the season 3-0 ahead of a series with the New York Mets.

ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The St. Louis Cardinals will look to build on an opening-day victory when they host the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of a three-game series Saturday at Busch Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon under cloudy skies with temperatures near 52 degrees. The Cardinals (1-0) held off the Rays 9-7 on Thursday. St. Louis will send left-hander Matthew Liberatore to the mound. Liberatore earned the win in the opener, allowing one earned run over five innings despite seven hits. Tampa Bay (0-1) will counter with right-hander Joe Boyle. The Rays aim to even the series after a comeback attempt fell short Thursday, when Drew Rasmussen took the loss despite a quality start of one earned run over five innings. Rasmussen is a player to watch again for Tampa Bay. For St. Louis, a key performer will be first baseman Alec Burleson, who went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in the opener. According to National Statistical, the game simulator projects a low-scoring 2-1 Cardinals victory. Their ELO rating system gives St. Louis a 51.3% probability to win. However, betting markets list Tampa Bay as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under is set at 8 runs. Following Saturday’s contest, the series concludes Sunday before both clubs embark on lengthy road trips. The Rays visit Milwaukee for three games starting Monday, while the Cardinals will host the New York Mets for a three-game set beginning Monday.