Herrera’s historic feat lifts Cardinals to win over Angels

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ)

Iván Herrera's one-of-a-kind effort at the dish helped the Cardinals avoid a sweep.

Herrera became the first catcher in franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game, leading St. Louis (4-2) to a 12-5 win over Los Angeles (4-2) in Wednesday's series finale.

The 24-year-old began tormenting the opposing team's pitching staff in the fourth frame, crushing a game-tying solo home run to left field that knotted the contest 1-1. Then, the Panama native belted a two-run shot in his next at-bat to give the Redbirds a two-run advantage, their first lead of the contest.

However, the Angels briefly silenced the cheers at Busch Stadium, following Herrera's sixth-inning home run. Logan O'Hoppe ended Sonny Gray's afternoon on the mound with a grand slam in the seventh inning, putting a blemish on an otherwise solid outing from the team's ace pitcher. Gray tossed six innings, allowing five runs on five hits with nine strikeouts.

The triumph in the Los Angeles dugout with short-lived, though. Willson Contreras sparked a streak of nine unanswered runs with a two-RBI double to left field that tied the contest 5-5 in the bottom half of the seventh frame. Then, after back-to-back run-scoring walks, Nolan Arenado finished his 2-for-3 effort at the plate with a two-RBI single. Arenado was one of four players to post a multi-hit performance for the Redbirds.

Finally, Herrera made history to close out a seven-run, eighth inning. The third-year catcher hammered a 425-foot, three-run home run to give his team a seven-run cushion and seal his spot in the franchise record books. Herrera finished the game with a 3-for-4 mark at the plate and six RBI's.

Up next - St. Louis travels to Boston to begin its first road trip of the 2025 season. The Cardinals face the Red Sox for three games, starting on Friday at 1:10 p.m.