Joc Pederson leads Rangers past Cardinals 7-4 for 5th straight win

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Joc Pederson hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning and the Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 on Tuesday night for their season-best fifth straight victory.

Pederson went 3 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Josh Jung also drove in two runs and Kyle Higashioka had three hits for Texas.

Evan Carter drew a leadoff walk in the ninth, moved to second on a wild pitch by Riley O’Brien (3-3) and third when Higashioka singled. Pederson and Jung followed with RBI singles before Pederson scored on Brandon Nimmo’s sacrifice fly to make it 7-4.

The Cardinals are 2-9 in the regular season against Texas in St. Louis.

Cal Quantrill (3-0) entered with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth and needed just one pitch to retire Iván Herrera. Jakob Junis pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.

JJ Wetherholt singled for the Cardinals in the seventh and scored on a double by Alec Burleson. Two pitches later, Jordan Walker’s single drove in Herrera to make it 4-all before Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi was relieved by Jalen Beeks.

Eovaldi got his first no-decision in 12 starts this year. It was the longest such streak by a Texas starter to begin a season since 2015.

Jimmy Crooks hit an RBI single in the second that snapped a string of 28 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings by Rangers starters, the third-longest streak in franchise history. Nolan Gorman added a solo homer in the fourth for St. Louis.

Carter scored when Nicky Lopez grounded into a forceout, and Pederson's double two pitches later drove in Lopez to make it 2-all in the fifth.

Higashioka scored on Pederson's sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Rangers LHP Mackenzie Gore (4-4, 3.96 ERA) starts Wednesday opposite RHP Andre Gallante (5-4, 4.19) in the series finale.

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