The Cardinals turned a tied game into a comfortable lead with a two-run fifth inning, defeating the Royals 4-2 at Busch Stadium. St. Louis broke open what had been a pitcher's duel with timely hitting in the middle innings.
Kyle Leahy anchored the Cardinals' victory with six innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits while walking three and striking out two. The right-hander improved to 5-3 with a 3.94 ERA, working efficiently through 90 pitches to earn his fifth win of the season.
After Vinnie Pasquantino tied the game 1-1 with a fifth-inning single that scored Maikel Garcia, the Cardinals responded immediately. Thomas Saggese scored on Victor Scott's fielder's choice grounder to first, then Masyn Winn's sacrifice fly to center brought Nathan Church home for a 3-1 advantage. The Cardinals added insurance in the eighth when Masyn Winn scored on Alec Burleson's single, aided by a throwing error from catcher Elias Díaz.
Noah Cameron took the loss for Kansas City, allowing three runs over six innings despite striking out four and walking none. The left-hander fell to 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA. Jac Caglianone provided a late spark with a 428-foot homer in the ninth, going 2-for-4 with his fifth home run of the season.
The victory extended St. Louis' winning streak to two games, improving to 26-18. Kansas City's struggles continued as they dropped their fifth straight, falling to 19-26.