ST. LOUIS _ Harrison Bader's Tuesday began with a long-awaited phone call from Memphis Redbirds manager Stubby Clapp at about 10:30 a.m.
It ended about 12 hours later when he scored the winning run in the Cardinals' 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night before a crowd of 41,514 at Busch Stadium.
Bader, who was promoted from Triple A earlier in the day, started in center field and was 0 for 3 before leading off the home half of the ninth with a ringing double into the left-field corner.
After a Greg Garcia bunt, moved the rookie to third, Bader scored when pinch-hitter Jedd Gyorko hit a sacrifice fly to right as the Rockies' employed a five-infielder defensive alignment.
Bader was able to beat the throw from Carlos Gonzalez as catcher Ryan Hanigan failed to come up with the throw.
It was the 100th game of the season for the Cardinals (49-51), who'll go for the series sweep Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.
Starter Lance Lynn pitched another strong game, allowing three hits and run in six-plus innings.
Shortstop Paul DeJong took care of the Cardinals' early run production on Tuesday, following up on an opposite-field single from Matt Carpenter to lead off the home half of the first with a one out homer to the bleachers in left-center field.
It was the 13th homer of the season for DeJong who seems comfortable hitting in the No. 3 spot. He hit the first pitch he saw from Colorado starter Jon Gray for a 408-foot ride for an early 2-0 lead for the Cardinals.
Through six innings, Lynn had allowed two hits, and walk and had faced just one over the minimum, thanks to double-play balls to end the fourth and sixth innings.
Colorado chased Lynn in the seventh when DJ LeMahieu led off with a walk and Nolan Arenado followed with ringing double to left. Parra greeted reliever Kevin Siegrist with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
After a walk to Mark Reynolds, Gonzalez hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
In the eighth, Colorado's Trevor Story tied the game at 2 with a leadoff homer off reliever Matt Bowman.
The Cardinals outhit the Rockies 12-6, getting two hits apiece from DeJong, Yadier Molina and Kolten Wong. DeJong drove in the Cardinals' runs, connecting for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. It was his 13th homer of the season.
The Rockies scored on a Gerardo Parra sacrifice fly in the seventh and Story's leadoff homer in the eighth.
Trevor Rosenthal (3-4) got the win, with Jake McGee (0-1) taking the loss.
