St. Louis had been mired in one of the worst offensive months in franchise history — an NL-worst July that buried a lineup that looked solid through the first week of the month. This game looked like more of the same for a long stretch: one run through 8 innings, nothing else going. Then the bats woke up all at once.
A 4-run 9th turned a nail-biter into a laugher, and it was exactly the kind of outburst St. Louis hasn't been able to find for most of the last month. Toronto's lone run came in the 8th, too little and too late against a bullpen that finally didn't buckle in the moment it mattered.
Both rosters are banged up in ways that shape who's actually available — Toronto is without three starting pitchers for the year and has been piecing together its outfield, while St. Louis is missing bullpen depth with Rajcic and Romero both out. Against that backdrop, a series finale that looked like a formality for Toronto turned into a reminder that even a slumping team can still find one big inning.
The Cardinals leave Toronto having avoided the sweep and snapped a stretch where they'd dropped 6 of 7. Whether it's a real turning point or a one-game blip against a shorthanded Jays roster is the question St. Louis takes into its next series.