ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lars Nootbaar hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and Jordan Walker also homered as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 on Saturday.
Nootbaar hit a 2-1 pitch from Sam Moll (1-4) 433 feet into the right-center field bleachers to put St. Louis ahead.
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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn reacts after hitting a two-run single against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo delivers against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore delivers against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
Nootbaar, who made his season debut Friday night after opening the season on the 60-day injured list while recovering from surgery on both heels, entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.
George Soriano (3-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Riley O’Brien allowed two hits and a walk in the ninth inning but got Sal Stewart to ground out to second with the bases loaded to earn his 16th save in 20 chances this season.
Matthew Liberatore allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, who have won three straight.
Walker hit a homer to right-center field in the fifth inning that just barely cleared the wall to cut the Cardinals deficit to 5-4. His 16th home run of the season matched his career-high set in his rookie season in 2023.
Matt McLain lined his sixth homer of the season to left field in the top of the fourth inning to give the Reds a 5-3 lead.
Noelvi Marte and McLain walked to lead off the third inning and scored on Alec Burleson's fielding error. Spencer Steer hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Dane Myers to tie the game 3-all.
The Cardinals took a 3-0 second-inning lead when Victor Scott II hit an RBI single, and Masyn Winn added a two-run single.
Nick Lodolo allowed four runs on nine hits in five innings for Cincinnati.
Reds RHP Rhett Lowder (3-3, 5.40 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (3-5, 2.98) in Sunday’s rubber match.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn reacts after hitting a two-run single against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo delivers against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore delivers against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 6, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Between the boos and “no means no” chants, Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart was the top target for vitriol in Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at Carolina.
Now he's back in much friendlier territory and took the T-Mobile Arena ice Saturday for Game 3 before a Vegas fan base that has cheered him, the roars growing louder with each postseason game.
That continued during introductions, so loud it was difficult to hear Hart's name. The only player who received a louder ovation was defenseman Brayden McNabb, back after taking a puck in his face Thursday night in Game 2.
Hart has given those fans plenty of reasons to get behind him, his play in goal a major reason why the Golden Knights are in the championship round of the playoffs. The series is 1-1.
“Just really fortunate to be here in Vegas,” Hart said. “It’s a great culture of people.”
The chants in Carolina stemmed from Hart being one of five 2018 Canadian world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault last July. The NHL ruled those players were eligible to sign deals beginning Oct. 15 and to play starting Dec. 1. Hart signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Vegas.
But Hart could have been suiting up on the other side. The Hurricanes considered signing him and Michael McLeod — one of the five involved in the scandal — but decided against taking such a step.
Hart entered the Stanley Cup Final playing at such a high level that he put himself in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the NHL playoffs MVP.
He took a 12-4 playoff record into Game 1, a 2.22 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Against the Hurricanes, however, Hart has a 3.90 GAA and .855 save percentage.
Not all of it his fault. The Golden Knights' defense had several unusual lapses in the first two games, putting Hart in position to make some difficult saves. Even so, the expected goals against Hart and the Golden Knights was 4.47 at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, and the Hurricanes lit the lamp six times at even strength.
Vegas coach John Tortorella again defended Hart’s play when asked how the goalie was handling the situation.
“Carter’s played very well,” Tortorella said.
Hart looked as if he would run his postseason winning streak to eight games Thursday night, taking a shutout into the final 9:40 of Game 2. But then the Hurricanes scored three times and again in overtime to win 4-3.
Now Hart and the rest of the Golden Knights will try to regroup. They are used to being in this situation, having lost Game 2 in three of the four playoff series this year, the first two at home before eliminating Utah and Anaheim each in six games.
But Vegas hasn't dealt with this kind of loss. The Golden Knights have snatched victories from other teams; this time they had it done to them.
Game 3 will tell where Hart and his teammates stand.
“It's in the past,” center William Karlsson said. “There nothing we can change, so now we just look ahead.”
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal (11) celebrates after his goal against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) during the third period in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
Vegas Golden Knights' Carter Hart (79) knocks a puck away from the net as Golden Knights' Jack Eichel (9) and Carolina Hurricanes' Jalen Chatfield (5) battle during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
