WASHINGTON _ It took an unerring bunt strolling down the third-base line for the Cardinals to unlock their offense and a rigid show from the bullpen to secure a second comeback victory in as many nights against Washington.
Kolten Wong dropped a bases-loaded, two-out bunt in the fourth inning to conjure the Cardinals' first run of the game and setup Harrison Bader for the decisive hit of the evening. Bader's two-run, two-out single sent the Cardinals to a 3-2 victory Tuesday night at Nationals Park.
It was the second time in two days the Nats botched an early lead of at least two runs.
Tyler Webb, John Gant, and Andrew Miller froze the game there by covering the final eight outs with only a one-run lead. Gant handled the eighth and got two batters into the ninth inning before lefty Miller came into the game and retired two batters for the save. The save was Miller's first of the season _ and it came on the last day of April.
The Cardinals won their 10th game in their past 12.
What Adam Wainwright (3-2) left after his 6 1/3 innings the bullpen handled with no margin for error. Webb inherited two runners and would have retired both of the hitters assigned to him if not for an error. He ended the seventh inning with a double play that kept the Cardinals one-run intact after the Nats had pushed the tying run into scoring position.
Gant entered in the eighth inning and retired three batters in order with the potential tying run watching from first base.
Wainwright allowed two solo home runs that jacked the Nats to an early 2-0 lead. He pitched into trouble with a couple of hit batters and a four-pitch walk to former teammate Matt Adams. Yet, each time he was able to find an escape hatch. He struck out back-to-back batters with two runners on to end the third inning, and the sixth inning took him five pitches to retire the side in order.
The rally, this time, began along the tightrope that's fair territory around the third-base line.
With the bases loaded, two outs, and trailing by two, Cardinals infielder Wong dropped a bunt down the third base line. He couldn't have putted it any straighter _ and the pace of the ball and location of the ball gave the Washington Nationals no play on it. Wong was safe at first with an RBI. Paul DeJong ran by the sneaky bunt on his way home as the Cardinals' first run of the game.
The bases remained loaded. The Nationals still stuck on two outs.
Bader, the next batter, put the Cardinals ahead when he roped a two-run single over the reach of the second baseman. Bader, in his second start since returning from the injured list, had RBIs in back-to-back games for the first time this season. The last time he had as many consecutive games with at least one RBI was against Washington last season.
For the second time in as many days at Nationals Park, the Cardinals came from behind and did so with all of the runs in their comeback coming in one inning.
Matt Carpenter struck out four times in the game before walking in the ninth inning.
Yadier Molina saw his hitting streak end at 16 games, a career-best. Molina went hitless in three at-bats, though he did draw a walk and score a run on Bader's single. His was the go-ahead run.
