Rob Refsnyder's Ninth-Inning Shot Ends It, Mariners Complete Sweep in St. Louis

The Mariners needed a hero in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on Sunday, and Rob Refsnyder answered the call. The pinch hitter crushed a solo home run off Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero with one out in the ninth to snap a tie and give Seattle a 3-2 victory, completing a three-game sweep of the interleague series.

Refsnyder's blast was a 3-2 sweeper that landed in the Mariners' bullpen in left field, the kind of clutch two-strike hit that wins games in April. It came after the Cardinals had regained the lead just three innings earlier, and it sent the Mariners out of Missouri with a clean sweep and some serious early-season momentum.

Cal Raleigh Stays Hot, But the Game Goes to Extras

Cal Raleigh continued his ridiculous hot streak, launching his sixth home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning off Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy. The blast came on a 1-1 changeup and crashed off the back wall of the Cardinals' bullpen in right field. This marks his fourth homer in the past six games, keeping pace with a historic season where he led the majors with 60 homers last year and set the MLB record for a catcher and switch hitter.

The Cardinals answered back in the sixth when Nathan Church homered off Mariners starter Emerson Hancock on a 1-1 changeup to right, giving St. Louis their second lead of the game. Church's blast was his fifth of the season and his third in the past two games.

The Mariners Push Through, Close It Out

Seattle manufactured the tying run in the seventh inning off St. Louis reliever Matt Svanson. With two outs, Connor Joe lined a double down the left field line and came home on Cole Young's single to right-center, setting up Refsnyder's heroics one inning later.

Eduard Bazardo (1-1) earned the win with his relief work, while Jose A. Ferrer recorded a clean ninth inning for his first save of the season. Hancock made a quality start for Seattle, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings with two walks and four strikeouts. McGreevy was nearly as sharp for St. Louis, going six innings and giving up one run on five hits with a season-high six strikeouts.

The Cardinals fall to 0-4 in their last four games. The Mariners head home with the sweep in their pocket and another test waiting at T-Mobile Park.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.