WASHINGTON — Andre Pallante showcased an impressive performance by taking a shutout deep into the eighth inning during one of the longest outings of his career. This effort helped the St. Louis Cardinals to notch their seventh consecutive win, with a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Despite facing some tense moments, closer Ryan Helsley managed to secure the win. The Nationals loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but Helsley effectively ended the threat by retiring CJ Abrams with a first-pitch flyball, marking his seventh save in nine opportunities.
While the Cardinals couldn’t secure a third consecutive shutout, the game was dominated by strong performances. Dylan Crews’ two-run homer in the eighth inning broke the runless streak against St. Louis, which had not allowed a run since Tuesday night against Pittsburgh. The Cardinals had previously overpowered the Pirates with a 5-0 win and coasted past Washington with a dominant 10-0 series opener.
St. Louis capitalized on an early advantage, scoring all of their four runs in the second inning. Pallante, now (3-2), achieved more than seven innings on only his second occasion in career, coincidentally both against the Nationals. The first was on July 31, 2022, when he delivered eight spotless innings. His excellent outing was concluded when Crews homered with one out in the eighth, prompting his exit.
Relief pitcher JoJo Romero managed through the rest of the eighth inning while allowing a couple of Washington batters to reach base. Meanwhile, Trevor Williams (2-4) of the Nationals faced challenges, conceding four runs and seven hits over six innings.
In the key second inning, with runners on first and third and two outs, Williams struggled to close out the inning. Pedro Pagés and Victor Scott delivered consecutive RBI singles, followed by Lars Nootbaar’s two-run double for St. Louis.
An anxious moment arose when Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado took a pitch to the left hand in the eighth inning, but he remained in the game.
Key moment: Ryan Helsley found himself in a precarious situation in the ninth inning, where, after retiring the first two batters, he allowed a single and two walks. Nevertheless, he expertly retrieved the situation by retiring Abrams for the crucial final out.
Key stat: With this victory, the Cardinals secured a seven-game winning streak, their longest since they won eight consecutive games from August 14-22, 2022. That previous streak included the last complete game shutout by a St. Louis pitcher before it was relived with the recent performance against the Nationals.
Looking ahead, Miles Mikolas (1-2) is slated to take the mound for St. Louis in Sunday’s game, facing off against Mackenzie Gore (2-3) of Washington.