ST. LOUIS -- Andre Pallante was up for the challenge.
The right-hander has pitched at an All-Star level for the last month. On Tuesday, he got an opportunity to duel with an actual All-Star opposite Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez.
Pallante matched the two-time All-Star out for out and scoreless frame for scoreless frame in the Cardinals’ 2-0 win at Busch Stadium.
Pallante threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and three walks to go along with two strikeouts. Pallante’s effort matched Sánchez’s six scoreless innings, in which he struck out seven and allowed four hits as well.
Pallante got stronger as the game went on, though.
Pallante escaped a pair of two-on, one-out jams in the first and second innings, and despite allowing at least one baserunner in each of his six innings, he faced just one hitter over the minimum over his final three frames thanks to several double plays turned by the Cardinals’ infield.
Pallante also got help from the newest Cardinal, as center fielder Everson Pereira made a leaping catch against the wall to rob Alec Bohm of an extra-base hit to lead off the fifth inning.
Pallante’s latest effort built on his previous three starts. Pallante is now 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA (three earned runs in 24 2/3 innings) in that four-start span.
More importantly, it kept the Cardinals on equal footing with the Phillies as the game went into the later innings against a taxed Philadelphia bullpen.
On cue, Jordan Walker drew a leadoff walk against Phillies reliever Alex McFarlane in the seventh before stealing second and scoring on Masyn Winn's RBI single to break the scoreless tie.
The Cardinals would need a great escape by Ryne Stanek in the top of the eighth to keep that lead, though. Stanek entered with the bases loaded and nobody out after Caleb Ferguson walked three in a row -- the second straight game in which Ferguson failed to retire a batter (six walks and a double over seven batters in the span). Stanek kept the Phillies off the board by getting Luis Arraez to ground into a 3-2-3 double play before J.T. Realmuto lined out to center field.
Pereira added to his night with a Statcast-projected 430-foot homer to center in the eighth to give the Cardinals an insurance run.