ST. LOUIS -- Tyler Locklear wasn’t even supposed to be in this spot.
Inserted into Arizona’s lineup as a last-minute replacement for Ketel Marte, who was scratched due to back stiffness, Locklear blasted a go-head two-run homer into Busch Stadium’s left-field corner on Thursday afternoon to boost the Diamondbacks to a 10-6 victory over the Cardinals in a makeup game that was rained out on June 25.
The homer was Locklear’s first of the season and first since Sept. 1, 2025. He also logged a double in the second inning and an RBI single in the eighth, which helped fuel a five-run rally that broke it open.
D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed two runs before he recorded an out in the bottom of the first, but the right-hander settled down to complete six innings in his second matchup with the Cardinals since the break. Pfaadt needed 25 pitches to complete the first inning and strand the bases loaded, but he was able to polish off five more innings in just 52 more. He yielded seven hits, walked two and struck out one.
The victory gave Arizona a crucial boost in the National League Wild Card race as the D-backs (54-49) now sit one game up on the Pirates (53-50) and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Cardinals (52-50) for the third spot. With taking three of the four games against St. Louis out of the break, Arizona secured the season series (5-2), which holds potential tiebreaker implications.