Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals Match Player Stats

The red sox vs. st. louis cardinals match player stats from the Boston Red Sox’s 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals tell a much more detailed story than the final score alone. Played at Busch Stadium, the game was decided by a few important moments: strong starting pitching from Dustin May, timely Cardinals offense in the fifth inning, Boston’s aggressive baserunning in the fourth, and a difficult relief appearance from Zach Kelly. Boston finished with five hits and two runs, while St. Louis collected eight hits and scored three runs.

The game was a classic low-scoring contest in which neither lineup produced a home run. Boston went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, while St. Louis went 2-for-13. Those numbers show that neither offense was especially efficient with opportunities, but the Cardinals did just enough in the highest-leverage moments to protect a one-run advantage.

For readers looking for Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals match player stats, the most important numbers include Dustin May’s six-inning performance, Connelly Early’s solid start, Zach Kelly’s costly fifth inning, Wilyer Abreu’s two-hit performance, Ramón Urías’ double and two runs scored, and Trevor Story’s unusual stolen-home contribution.

Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals Match Player Stats at a Glance

The contest ended with St. Louis ahead 3-2.

Category	Boston Red Sox	St. Louis Cardinals
Runs	2	3
Hits	5	8
Errors	0	1
Home Runs	0	0
Runs Batted In	1	3
Walks	0	6
Strikeouts	7	9
Team LOB	5	12
RISP	1-for-6	2-for-13
Total Innings Pitched	8.0	9.0

The most striking difference is not simply the three versus two runs. It is the way the Cardinals reached base. St. Louis drew six walks compared with none for Boston. That created additional opportunities even though the Cardinals left 12 runners on base.

Boston’s pitching staff also generated nine strikeouts, matching the Cardinals‘ nine strikeouts, but St. Louis still produced three runs from eight hits and six walks.

Game Context and Final Result

The matchup took place at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The supplied attendance figure was 27,125, and ESPN’s box score records the same attendance for the contest. Boston entered the game at 4-9 overall and 1-6 on the road, while St. Louis was 8-5 overall and 5-2 at home.

The final line was:

Boston Red Sox 2, St. Louis Cardinals 3

Boston scored twice in the fourth inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the fifth after already taking a 1-0 lead in the second. From there, the St. Louis pitching staff kept Boston off the scoreboard for the rest of the night.

This is important when interpreting the red sox vs. st. louis cardinals match player stats. The box score does not describe a game dominated by one offense. Instead, it describes a game where both teams struggled to convert opportunities, with St. Louis gaining just enough from its pitching and situational offense.

Starting Pitching Breakdown

Dustin May Sets the Tone for St. Louis

Dustin May delivered the strongest individual pitching line of the game.

His final statistics were:

• 6.0 innings
• 4 hits allowed
• 2 runs allowed
• 1 earned run
• 4 strikeouts
• 0 walks
• 0 home runs allowed
• Game Score of 62

The distinction between two runs allowed and one earned run is particularly important. Boston scored once during the fourth inning after a St. Louis throwing error, meaning May’s earned-run figure did not fully reflect the two runs charged to his line.

May’s six innings gave the Cardinals exactly what they needed from their starter. He limited Boston to four hits and did not issue a walk. That combination kept the Red Sox from creating sustained pressure.

A starter who works six innings without issuing a walk can put a team in a favorable position even without producing a large strikeout total. May’s four strikeouts were useful, but his command was arguably just as important.

ESPN’s recap confirms that May allowed two runs, only one earned, on four hits while striking out four across six innings.

Connelly Early Gives Boston a Quality Start

Connelly Early’s performance was also better than the final result might suggest.

His line:

• 4.1 innings
• 5 hits allowed
• 1 run
• 1 earned run
• 2 walks
• 5 strikeouts
• 0 home runs allowed
• Game Score of 52

Early kept the Cardinals to one run through his first four-plus innings. His five strikeouts helped Boston prevent the Cardinals from turning baserunners into a bigger early advantage.

The problem for Boston was that Early exited in the fifth inning with the game still close, and Zach Kelly inherited the situation.

That transition ultimately became the game’s turning point.

Zach Kelly’s Fifth Inning Matters

Kelly entered after Early and recorded two outs, but he surrendered two hits, two runs, and one walk in only two-thirds of an inning.

His line:

• 0.2 innings
• 2 hits
• 2 runs
• 2 earned runs
• 1 walk
• 0 strikeouts

The timing made the outing especially costly.

The Cardinals already had a runner in scoring position when the inning developed. Thomas Saggese then singled to bring Jordan Walker home, tying the game. José Fermín followed with a sacrifice fly that brought Ramón Urías home and gave St. Louis a 3-2 lead.

The Cardinals never gave the lead back.

This is one of the clearest examples of why individual pitching statistics must be viewed alongside inning context. Kelly’s overall numbers look modest because he faced only a few batters, but those batters came in a high-leverage situation.

Riley O’Brien Closes the Door

Riley O’Brien handled the ninth inning for St. Louis.

His save line was:

• 1.0 inning
• 0 hits
• 0 runs
• 0 walks
• 1 strikeout

He recorded a clean ninth and preserved the Cardinals’ one-run victory. ESPN records the save as O’Brien’s fourth of the season.

For a game decided by one run, a clean ninth inning is particularly valuable. Boston did not get a chance to turn the final inning into another scoring opportunity.

Red Sox Batting Player Stats

Boston finished with only five hits and two runs.

The Red Sox batting totals were:

• 32 at-bats
• 2 runs
• 5 hits
• 1 RBI
• 0 home runs
• 0 walks
• 7 strikeouts

The lack of walks stands out. Boston’s hitters had to generate nearly all of their baserunners through hits, while St. Louis received six free passes.

Wilyer Abreu Produces Two Hits

Wilyer Abreu was the only Red Sox hitter with multiple hits.

He went:

• 4 at-bats
• 2 hits
• 0 runs
• 0 RBI
• 0 strikeouts

His two-hit performance accounted for 40 percent of Boston’s five hits.

That is a meaningful contribution in a game where the entire lineup managed only five hits. Abreu gave Boston consistent contact, although the Red Sox could not turn enough of their overall opportunities into runs.

Masataka Yoshida Scores a Run

Masataka Yoshida went 1-for-3 and scored one of Boston’s runs.

His single was part of the fourth-inning sequence that ultimately tied the game. Yoshida later scored when Trevor Story reached on a fielder’s choice and the Cardinals committed a throwing error.

Although the play is recorded as a run for Boston, it is important to distinguish the offensive contribution from the defensive mistake. The Red Sox benefited from an error rather than producing a clean run-scoring hit.

Trevor Story Drives in One Run and Steals Home

Trevor Story had one of the most unusual sequences of the game.

He finished with:

• 4 at-bats
• 1 RBI
• 1 run
• 0 hits
• 1 stolen base

His RBI came when he reached on a fielder’s choice during the fourth inning. The play also involved a St. Louis throwing error that allowed Yoshida to score.

Story then stole home during a double steal in which Marcelo Mayer stole second.

That gave Boston its second run and temporarily put the Red Sox ahead 2-1.

The sequence demonstrates why traditional batting statistics can miss important contributions. Story did not record a hit, but his baserunning directly produced a run.

Marcelo Mayer Adds a Stolen Base

Marcelo Mayer finished 1-for-4 and stole second during the same double-steal sequence.

His stolen base helped create the opening for Story to steal home.

The two baserunners essentially forced the Cardinals defense to react to multiple threats at once. Boston took advantage of the situation, although the lead did not last long.

Ceddanne Rafaela Records a Double

Ceddanne Rafaela went 1-for-3 and recorded Boston’s only extra-base hit.

His double was the Red Sox’s only two-base hit in the game.

With Boston producing only five total hits, Rafaela’s extra-base hit represented an important part of the team’s limited offensive production.

Other Red Sox Hitters

Jarren Duran, Caleb Durbin, Willson Contreras, and Connor Narváez did not record hits in the game.

The broader issue for Boston was not simply that individual players failed to collect hits. The lineup also did not draw a walk, leaving very little margin for error.

ESPN’s official box score lists Boston’s complete batting line and confirms the five-hit, two-run performance.

Cardinals Batting Player Stats

St. Louis finished with eight hits and three runs.

The Cardinals’ team line was:

• 30 at-bats
• 3 runs
• 8 hits
• 3 RBI
• 0 home runs
• 6 walks
• 9 strikeouts
• 12 runners left on base
• 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position

The offense was not highly efficient, but it generated more traffic than Boston.

Ramón Urías Provides Important Extra-Base Production

Ramón Urías was one of the most influential Cardinals hitters.

He recorded a double and scored twice.

His first run came in the second inning when Victor Scott II hit a sacrifice fly.

Urías later scored the go-ahead run in the fifth after José Fermín’s sacrifice fly.

Scoring twice in a three-run game means Urías was directly involved in a large percentage of St. Louis’s offense.

His double also gave the Cardinals an extra-base threat that Boston had to account for.

Victor Scott II Delivers the First RBI

Victor Scott II drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning.

The sacrifice fly scored Urías and gave St. Louis an early 1-0 advantage.

It was not a flashy offensive event, but it was exactly the type of productive out that matters in a low-scoring game.

Scott II’s RBI also illustrates why looking only at hits can create an incomplete picture of a player’s contribution.

Thomas Saggese Produces the Game-Tying Hit

Thomas Saggese supplied the Cardinals with an important fifth-inning single.

His hit scored Jordan Walker and tied the game at 2-2.

That hit changed the inning from a potential threat into an actual scoring opportunity. St. Louis then added another run through Fermín’s sacrifice fly.

Saggese therefore played a direct role in the sequence that ultimately produced the winning run.

José Fermín Gives St. Louis the Lead

José Fermín produced the go-ahead RBI with a sacrifice fly.

He drove in Urías to make the score 3-2.

That became the final score.

Fermín’s contribution is another example of the importance of situational hitting. He did not need an extra-base hit or home run to influence the outcome. A well-placed sacrifice fly was enough.

The Importance of the Walk Differential

One of the most revealing numbers in the red sox vs. st. louis cardinals match player stats is the walk differential.

Boston: 0 walks

St. Louis: 6 walks

That is a six-runner difference in terms of free baserunners, although walks do not automatically become runs.

The Cardinals also left 12 runners on base, showing that many of those opportunities did not become productive. Still, the extra baserunners increased the number of situations in which St. Louis could manufacture a run.

Boston, by contrast, had to rely almost entirely on hits.

That is a difficult offensive environment, especially against a starter such as May, who did not issue a walk in six innings.

RISP Numbers Tell an Interesting Story

Boston went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

St. Louis went 2-for-13.

At first glance, those numbers suggest that neither offense was particularly effective with runners in scoring position.

Yet St. Louis still won.

Why?

Because the Cardinals created more total opportunities and used other methods to score.

The first run came on a sacrifice fly.

The second came on a single.

The third came on another sacrifice fly.

None of the Cardinals’ runs required a home run.

This is a useful reminder that a team’s offensive process can involve several different paths to scoring.

How the Game Changed Inning by Inning

Second Inning: Cardinals Take the Lead

St. Louis opened the scoring in the second.

Urías reached scoring position and later scored on Scott II’s sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals led 1-0.

Fourth Inning: Boston Takes Advantage of Defensive Trouble

The fourth inning was Boston’s best offensive sequence.

Yoshida scored when Story reached on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error occurred.

Story then stole home while Mayer stole second.

Boston moved ahead 2-1.

The Red Sox therefore scored both of their runs in the same inning.

Fifth Inning: Cardinals Retake Control

St. Louis responded immediately.

Saggese singled to score Walker and tie the game.

Fermín then lifted a sacrifice fly to score Urías.

The Cardinals moved ahead 3-2.

That proved to be the decisive inning.

Defensive Statistics and the One Error

Boston played a clean defensive game with zero errors.

St. Louis committed one error, a throwing error by J. Wetherholt.

That error directly contributed to Boston’s first run.

Even though the Cardinals made the only defensive error, they still won because their pitching prevented Boston from capitalizing on additional opportunities.

This is another reason the final score cannot be understood through one statistic alone.

Comparing the Pitching Staffs

The Red Sox pitching staff completed eight innings and allowed:

• 8 hits
• 3 runs
• 3 earned runs
• 6 walks
• 9 strikeouts
• 0 home runs

The Cardinals pitching staff completed nine innings and allowed:

• 5 hits
• 2 runs
• 1 earned run
• 0 walks
• 7 strikeouts
• 0 home runs

The most important difference is command.

St. Louis did not walk a Boston hitter.

Boston pitchers walked six Cardinals hitters.

The Red Sox staff actually recorded two more strikeouts, but the Cardinals’ superior walk prevention helped them keep Boston from creating enough sustained pressure.

Game Score Comparison

ESPN’s box score lists:

Dustin May: Game Score 62

Connelly Early: Game Score 52

The 10-point gap reflects May’s longer outing and stronger overall run prevention.

May also benefited from allowing only one earned run.

Early’s performance was respectable, particularly considering that he struck out five hitters and allowed only one run during his 4.1 innings. However, the game ultimately turned after he departed.

Game Score is useful as a quick summary metric, but it should not be treated as a complete evaluation of a pitcher’s performance. It does not capture every aspect of command, defense, leverage, or game context.

What the Player Stats Reveal About the Game

The deeper lesson from these numbers is that this was a game of narrow margins.

Boston did several things well:

• It received a solid start from Early.
• It collected five hits.
• It played error-free defense.
• It created two runs in the fourth.
• It used aggressive baserunning to steal home.
• Its pitching staff struck out nine Cardinals.

But St. Louis had several advantages:

• May completed six innings.
• The Cardinals did not issue a walk.
• St. Louis collected eight hits.
• The lineup received six walks.
• Urías scored twice.
• The Cardinals converted two sacrifice flies into runs.
• O’Brien closed the game without allowing a baserunner.

The difference was not overwhelming. It was simply enough to decide a one-run game.

A Closer Look at Boston’s Offensive Approach

Boston’s offense was built around contact and baserunning rather than power in this game.

The Red Sox hit no home runs and produced only one extra-base hit from Rafaela.

Yet they still scored twice.

One run came through a defensive error, and the other came through an aggressive double-steal sequence.

That tells us something important about the team’s ability to manufacture runs when the long ball is unavailable.

At the same time, the zero-walk total shows the limitation of that approach in this particular game. Without walks, Boston needed its hitters to consistently make contact and reach safely.

Against May and the Cardinals bullpen, that proved difficult.

A Closer Look at St. Louis’ Offensive Approach

St. Louis also lacked a home run, but it generated more traffic.

Eight hits and six walks created 14 combined hit-or-walk events.

Boston had only five hits and no walks.

The Cardinals’ offense therefore had substantially more opportunities to move runners around the bases.

The 12 runners left on base show that St. Louis was far from perfect. The Cardinals missed several opportunities, especially given their 2-for-13 RISP performance.

But they did not need to convert every opportunity.

They only needed three runs.

Player-by-Player Statistical Takeaways

Boston Red Sox

Connelly Early: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Zach Kelly: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB

Wilyer Abreu: 2-for-4

Masataka Yoshida: 1-for-3, scored a run

Trevor Story: RBI, scored a run, stole home

Marcelo Mayer: 1 hit, stolen base

Ceddanne Rafaela: 1-for-3 with a double

St. Louis Cardinals

Dustin May: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 0 BB

Riley O’Brien: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K, save

Ramón Urías: double, two runs scored

Victor Scott II: RBI sacrifice fly

Thomas Saggese: RBI single

José Fermín: RBI sacrifice fly

Jordan Walker: scored a run

These are the individual statistics most directly connected to the game’s scoring and final outcome.

Why the Pitching Matchup Was Decisive

A low-scoring MLB game often comes down to how well each pitching staff manages traffic.

May allowed four hits but no walks.

Early allowed five hits and two walks.

That difference may appear small, but over several innings it changes the number of baserunners an offense can work with.

May also handed the Cardinals six complete innings, allowing the bullpen to cover only three innings.

Boston’s bullpen had to cover 3.2 innings after Early departed in the fifth.

The Cardinals ultimately benefited from getting through the game with fewer pitching innings required from their relief group.

The Role of Baserunning

The most memorable Red Sox play was not a hit.

It was Story stealing home.

Boston also stole second through Mayer.

Those plays generated the second Red Sox run and briefly put Boston ahead.

The Cardinals did not record a stolen base in the supplied box-score data.

That makes Boston’s aggressive baserunning one of the more unusual elements of the game.

However, baserunning alone could not overcome the offensive gap in total baserunners.

What the 3-2 Score Really Means

A 3-2 score can sometimes look like an evenly matched game, and statistically this one was relatively close.

Boston had five hits.

St. Louis had eight.

Boston had no walks.

St. Louis had six.

Boston made no errors.

St. Louis made one.

Boston struck out seven times.

St. Louis struck out nine times.

Those numbers show that the Cardinals did not dominate every statistical category.

Instead, they won the categories that helped them create just enough scoring opportunities.

That is the central theme of the game.

Series Context

The game was the opening contest of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

The supplied data identifies it as the series opener, and ESPN’s schedule records Boston losing the first game 3-2 before winning the following two games, 7-1 and 9-3. As a result, the Red Sox ultimately won the three-game series 2-1.

That later series result should not be confused with the individual game result.

For this specific contest, St. Louis won 3-2.

How to Read MLB Player Stats Correctly

For readers researching red sox vs. st. louis cardinals match player stats, looking only at batting average or total hits can lead to an incomplete conclusion.

A better approach is to examine several layers.

Start With the Score

The final score establishes the basic result.

Check Team Hits

Hits indicate how much clean offensive contact each team produced.

Check Walks

Walks show how often hitters reached without needing a hit.

Check RISP

Runners-in-scoring-position numbers show how often teams converted some of their most obvious scoring chances.

Check Pitching Workload

Innings pitched reveal how long starters stayed in the game and how much pressure was placed on the bullpen.

Check Errors

Defensive mistakes can create runs even when the opposing lineup does not produce a hit.

Check Baserunning

Stolen bases and aggressive advances can turn otherwise ordinary innings into scoring opportunities.

When these statistics are viewed together, the story of this game becomes much clearer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score between the Red Sox and Cardinals?

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-2 at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals had eight hits, while Boston had five.

Who was the winning pitcher?

Dustin May earned the win after pitching six innings. He allowed four hits, two runs, one earned run, and struck out four without issuing a walk.

Who was the losing pitcher?

Zach Kelly took the loss for Boston. He pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed two hits, two earned runs, and one walk.

Who had the most hits for the Red Sox?

Wilyer Abreu led Boston with two hits. Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida, and Marcelo Mayer each added one hit.

Who scored the Cardinals’ runs?

Ramón Urías scored twice, while the other Cardinals run was scored by Jordan Walker. The Cardinals’ RBIs came from Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, and José Fermín.

How did the Red Sox score their two runs?

Boston scored both runs in the fourth inning. Masataka Yoshida scored when Trevor Story reached on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error occurred, while Story later stole home during a double steal involving Marcelo Mayer.

Conclusion

The red sox vs. st. louis cardinals match player stats show a tightly contested game decided by pitching command, situational execution, and a handful of high-leverage plays.

Dustin May provided six effective innings for St. Louis, allowing only one earned run and issuing no walks. Ramón Urías supplied an important double and scored twice, while Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, and José Fermín produced the three Cardinals RBIs.

Boston received a competitive start from Connelly Early and nine total strikeouts from its pitching staff. Wilyer Abreu led the offense with two hits, while Trevor Story created one of the game’s most memorable moments by stealing home.

The biggest statistical difference was the number of free baserunners. St. Louis walked six times, while Boston did not draw a single walk. The Cardinals also produced eight hits to Boston’s five. Even though St. Louis left 12 runners on base and went only 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, those extra opportunities were enough to produce three runs.

Boston’s aggressive fourth inning showed that runs can be manufactured without home runs. Story’s stolen home and Mayer’s stolen base created a temporary 2-1 advantage. But St. Louis answered in the fifth, scoring twice and then relying on its pitching staff to protect the lead.

The final 3-2 score therefore reflects a game of small statistical margins rather than an overwhelming offensive performance. May’s command, St. Louis’ ability to draw walks, timely sacrifice flies, and O’Brien’s clean ninth combined to give the Cardinals the victory.

For anyone studying red sox vs. st. louis cardinals match player stats, the most useful lesson is to move beyond the final score. The complete box score reveals how hits, walks, pitching workload, defensive errors, baserunning, and situational hitting combined to shape the result.

Source: ESPN’s official box score and game recap provide the primary statistical reference for this contest. ESPN box score