(ST. LOUIS, AP) — For Matt Adams, no feeling turned out to be the best feeling.
The St. Louis first baseman homered in the 16th inning to lead the Cardinals to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night for St. Louis’ season-best fifth straight victory.
It was the second consecutive game that the Cardinals won in their final at-bat. They beat the Padres on Thursday after scoring a run in the ninth inning.
Adams homer came with one out off Bud Norris (5-9), who gave up six runs as a starter in an 8-1 loss at Washington on Wednesday.
The 444-foot drive left the field in a hurry.
“I didn’t feel the ball come off the bat,” Adams said. “So, I knew I squared it up. I knew it was going to go.”
Seth Maness (1-2) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief for St. Louis, which was playing its longest game of the season.
Jedd Gyorko hit a two-out homer off closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth to tie the game 3-3. It was the fifth blown save of the season for Jansen. Gyorko has five homers in his last five games.
“I’m just seeing the ball well and putting good swings on it,” Gyorko said. “I’m getting myself in good hitters’ counts and looking for something hard out over the plate.”
The streaking Gyorko was impressed that Adams was able to hit one of the longest homers of his career at the end of a 5-hour, 10-minute marathon.
“I’m not sure how he had that much left in the tank,” Gyorko said. “I know I wouldn’t have been able to hit one that far.”
St. Louis manager Mike Matheny was pleased to see Adams step up at the perfect time.
“We needed somebody to get it finished,” Matheny said. “It was well done.”
Justin Turner and Howie Kendrick homered for the Dodgers. Los Angeles has lost four of six. The red-hot Turner has seven homers and 17 RBI this month. He hit two homers in a 6-3 win over Washington on Thursday.
Turner blasted his career-high 18th homer of the season off Seung Hwan Oh in the ninth to break a 2-2 tie.
Corey Seager had four hits and drove in the first run of the game. He had hit in seven successive at-bats before flying out in the ninth.
The Dodgers had 14 hits and left 13 runners on base. They were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
“We can’t break through,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “I think it’s guys trying to do too much and guys getting out of their approaches.”
Kendrick’s solo shot in the sixth tied the game 2-2. He has hit in 14 successive games trying Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon for the longest current streak in the majors.
Los Angeles starter Brandon McCarthy allowed one hit and two runs over 6 1-3 innings, the longest of his four starts this season. He left with leg cramps. McCarthy struck out four and walked three.
“I felt like most everything was just a little bit off,” McCarthy said. “I got a little bit lucky and was able to go deeper into the game.”
St. Louis starter Michael Wacha allowed two runs on 10 hits in six innings. He struck out four, walked one and wriggled out of numerous jams.
The St. Louis bullpen shined allowing just one run on four hits over the final 10 innings. Tyler Lyons, who was likely to start on Sunday, gave up one hit in 4 2-3 innings.
“Tyler was a star tonight,” Matheny said.
Dodgers reliever Adam Liberatore recorded his 28th successive scoreless outing by retiring two of four batters in the seventh. He has not allowed a run in 41 of 42 appearances this season.
LUCKY NUMBER FIVE
The Cardinals have used only five starting pitchers this season, the lowest total in the majors.
They will likely need a sixth starter for the Sunday night game against the Dodgers, thanks to a rain out earlier in the homestand.
TRAINING ROOM
Dodgers: OF Yasiel Puig (hamstring) was out of the starting lineup, but manager Dave Roberts said he’s 85 percent and expects him to start on Sunday. Puig popped out as a pinch hitter to end the 13th.
Cardinals: IF/OF Brandon Moss (ankle) is expected to go on a rehab assignment early next week. IF Matt Carpenter (right oblique) took ground balls and did light throwing.
UP NEXT
RHP Kenta Maeda (8-7, 3.25) will face RHP Mike Leake (7-7, 4.30) in the second game of the three-game set on Saturday. Maeda is 5-2 with a 3.31 ERA in nine road starts this season. Leake has not walked a batter in the last 19 innings covering three starts.