ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado and Paul DeJong both homered and drove in four runs to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Yankees 12-9 on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep.
St. Louis won its seventh straight season in a 4-hour, 25-minute brawl – the longest nine-inning game in the majors this season.
DJ LeMahieu homered for the Yankees, who have lost five in a row. It is their worst slip since a seven-game slide last September.
St. Louis (60-48) moved the season’s best 12 games above .500 with its first regular-season series sweep for the Yankees. The rising Cardinals were two games ahead of second place Milwaukee in the NL Central.
New York still holds the best record in the American League, but its lead in the AL East has shrunk to 9 1/2 games over Toronto, the first time since June 15 by single digits.
St. Louis became the first team to defeat the Yankees in a run of at least three games this year. Atlanta and the New York Mets are the only clubs in the majors to escape that fate so far.
Arenado, who launched a three-run homer in the second inning, had three hits this season and leads the majors with 18 RBI’s in interleague games.
DeJong, who broke a tie of six with a double in the fifth inning, added a three-run drive in the eighth inning – his 100th career homerun.
Aaron Judge drove four runs for the Yankees, bringing his AL-leading total to 97 RBI’s.
Frankie Montas struggled on his Yankees debut. The righthander, who was taken over from Oakland on Monday, gave up six earned runs and five hits over three innings. He struckout two batters and walked three.
New York manager Aaron Boone was sent off by plate umpire Ed Hickox in the fifth for an apparent argument over balls and punches. It was Boone’s 23rd goalkeeper throw and his sixth of the season. Pitching coach Matt Blake was also thrown.
Judge gave his team a 4-1 lead with a two-run single in the second. St. Louis responded with five runs in the bottom half. Arenado’s 22nd homer put St. Louis at 6-4.
The Cardinals scored three times in the fifth to break up a tie of six. Tommy Edman followed the double by DeJong with a runscoring hit. DeJong was originally issued at the plate in the game, but the call was reversed after a replay review.
St. Louis-starter Adam Wainwright gave up four runs and eight hits in more than four innings. He struckout five and walked.
Aaron Hicks had three hits and reached base four times for the Yankees.
St. Louis completed a 6-0 homestand, the first homestand sweep of six games or more since September 2013.
Chris Stratton (6-4) took the win and gave up two runs over 1 2/3 innings of relief. He struckout four batters and walked no batter.
Ryan Helsley earned his 11th save in 14 chances.
Albert Abreu (2-1) took the loss.
BEST FRIENDS
Wainwright and C Yadier Molina made their 318th starts together, second all-time behind Detroit duo Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan (324) from 1963-1975.
BUSCH III KING
Molina got his 1000th career hit in Busch Stadium III with a single in the third. He is the career leader at the stadium, which opened in 2006.
TRAINERS ROOM
Yankees: 1B Anthony Rizzo sat out his third consecutive game with a jersey number. He missed four games last month with back problems.
Cardinals: OR Juan Yepez will start a rehab assignment in Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday. He has been out since July 15 with a right forearm strain.
NEXT ONE
Yankees: RHP Jameson Taillon (10-2, 3.96 ERA) faces RHP Logan Gilbert (10-4, 3.09) in the opener of a three-game series Monday in Seattle. Taillon gave up six runs on Tuesday over 4 2/3 innings of an 8-6 loss to the Mariners.
Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (8-8, 2.92 ERA) takes on Colorado RHP Ryan Feltner (1-3, 5.75) in the first of a three-game series Tuesday in Denver. Mikolas has allowed five home runs in three career starts at Coors Field.
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