DENVER (AP) — Willson Contreras homered drove in two runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-2 victory over the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
The Cardinals ended a three-game losing streak after being swept by Arizona while the Rockies marked their 100th game with their 76th loss.
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St. Louis Cardinals' Garrett Hampson flies out against Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jake Bird in the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
As home plate umpire Willie Trynor, left, waits to make the call as Colorado Rockies' Ryan McMahon, center, is tagged out by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, right, while trying to score on a ground ball hit by Rockies' Yanquiel Fernández in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rockies' Adael Amador, left, scores on a single hit by Mickey Moniak as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, right, waits for the throw in the third inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras gestures as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber in the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy works against the Colorado Rockies in the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado hit doubles and joined Jordan Walker with two hits apiece in a 15-hit night. Masyn Winn and Contreras had three hits each.
The Rockies took a 2-0 lead in the third, but Contreras hit a solo homer and Winn doubled in Arenado to tie the game in the fourth. Contreras gave St. Louis the lead for good with an RBI single in the fifth.
The Cardinals extended their lead on a single by Pedro Pagés and Donovan's sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Michael McGreevy (2-1), recalled on Monday to make the start, went seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and no walks with one strikeout.
Austin Gomber (0-4) gave up five runs on 11 hits. He struck out six.
Mickey Moniak, Brenton Doyle and Adael Amador had two hits each for the Rockies.
Contreras gave the Cardinals their first run with his homer, but it was his single to left in the fifth that brought in the go-ahead run.
The Rockies have to go 18-44 the rest of the season to avoid tying the White Sox's modern-era record of 121 losses set last year.
Cardinals RHP Erick Fedde (3-9, 4.83 ERA) faces Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (0-2, 9.97) on Tuesday night.
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St. Louis Cardinals' Garrett Hampson flies out against Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jake Bird in the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
As home plate umpire Willie Trynor, left, waits to make the call as Colorado Rockies' Ryan McMahon, center, is tagged out by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, right, while trying to score on a ground ball hit by Rockies' Yanquiel Fernández in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rockies' Adael Amador, left, scores on a single hit by Mickey Moniak as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, right, waits for the throw in the third inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras gestures as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber in the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy works against the Colorado Rockies in the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.
Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.
On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.
It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.
The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.
Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.
The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.
Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.
Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.
The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.
Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.
Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.
President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
