St. Louis Cardinals Defeat Tampa Bay Rays 7-4: Contreras Homers, Burleson Shines in Five-Run Inning (2025 Game Recap)

Thursday, August 21st, 2025

St. Louis Cardinals Defeat Tampa Bay Rays 7-4

The St. Louis Cardinals secured a 7-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, highlighted by Willson Contreras’ home run and a five-run second inning powered by Alec Burleson’s two-run single. The win showcased the Cardinals’ ability to respond quickly after trailing early in the game.

Cardinals’ Offensive Surge in the Second Inning

After falling behind 1-0, the Cardinals erupted in the second inning with run-scoring hits from Nathan Church and Lars Nootbaar. A wild pitch allowed another run to score before Burleson delivered a two-run single to right field, putting St. Louis firmly in control. Ivan Herrera added an RBI single in the fourth, while Contreras blasted his 18th home run of the season in the seventh inning.

Solid Pitching Performance by Sonny Gray and the Bullpen

Sonny Gray notched his 12th win of the season, allowing three runs on six hits over five innings. Gray struck out six and walked one. The Cardinals’ bullpen combination of Kyle Leahy, Matt Svanson, and JoJo Romero held Tampa Bay to just one run and five hits for the remainder of the game, with Romero collecting his fourth save.

Rays’ Highlights and Setbacks

Yardy Diaz provided a bright spot for the Rays with a two-run home run in the third inning, marking his 21st homer of the season. However, Rays starter Joe Boyle had a tough outing, giving up six runs (five earned) on nine hits over five innings, resulting in his first home loss of the season.

Key Moment: Diaz Leaves Game with Injury

Yardy Diaz, serving as the Rays’ designated hitter, singled in the fifth inning but suffered a right hamstring injury on the play. He left the game and is considered day-to-day.

Key Statistic of the Game

Joe Boyle had previously allowed just one earned run in four starts at Steinbrenner Field, but he surrendered five earned runs (six in total) on Thursday, giving up a career-high nine hits.

Looking Ahead

The Rays will send right-hander Adrian Houser (6-4, 2.67 ERA) to the mound against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas (6-9, 4.99 ERA) in the next matchup on Friday.

In summary

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4 thanks to strong offensive contributions from Willson Contreras and Alec Burleson, as well as a solid pitching effort from Sonny Gray and the bullpen. Yardy Diaz’s two-run homer and injury were key moments for the Rays, while Joe Boyle’s tough outing marked a turning point. The teams look to continue the series with Adrian Houser and Miles Mikolas as the probable starters on Friday.

MLB Schedules

Today's MLB Games

There are no baseball games today.

Tomorrow's MLB Games

There are no baseball games tomorrow.

Yesterday's MLB Games

There were no baseball games yesterday.

St. Louis Cardinals Defeat Tampa Bay Rays 7-4: Contreras Homers, Burleson Shines in Five-Run Inning (2025 Game Recap)