ST. LOUIS (AP) — Iván Herrera hit a go-ahead two-run home run, and Miles Mikolas pitched six solid innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Athletics 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Mikolas (7-10) gave up a run on five hits in six innings. He didn't have a strikeout and walked one. The right-hander was 0-2 with a 6.04 ERA in five August starts.
Matt Svanson followed with two scoreless innings and JoJo Romero pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his sixth save.
Victor Scott II drew a leadoff walk from Hogan Harris
in the sixth. Michael Kelly (4-3) replaced Harris with two outs and Scott on third and Iván Herrera hit his 12th homer three pitches later for a 2-1 lead.
Luis Severino left leading 1-0 after five innings and 61 pitches in his first start since Aug. 5. He allowed three hits and a walk. Severino followed five straight losses with four wins in a row before missing time with a left oblique strain.
JJ Bleday had a leadoff double in the third and rookie Nick Kurtz — batting .325 average with runners in scoring position — doubled to put the Athletics ahead. Bleday homered twice for the Athletics (64-76) in an 11-3 win in the opener.
The Cardinals (69-71) have just three wins in their last 11 home games.
Zack Gelof doubled leading off the fifth and Mikolas walked Kurtz intentionally with two outs before retiring Jacob Wilson on an infield pop-up to keep it 1-0.
The Athletics came in with 190 home runs — 57 more than the Cardinals.
Athletics Jeffrey Springs (10-9, 4.17 ERA) starts Wednesday's rubber game opposite Matthew Liberatore (6-11, 4.32).
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