The Arizona Diamondbacks turned one explosive inning into one of their most complete victories of the 2026 season, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 on Wednesday night at Busch Stadium. A six-run fourth inning highlighted by LuJames Groover's first Major League home run and Ketel Marte's back-to-back blast powered Arizona to its second consecutive victory in the series.

The win improved the Diamondbacks to 41-39 on the season while giving them a chance to secure a series victory in the finale. It also marked a memorable night for rookie pitcher Mitch Bratt, who became the first Canadian-born pitcher to make his Major League debut for the Diamondbacks franchise.

Cardinals Strike First
For the opening three innings, it appeared St. Louis was in control.

Matthew Liberatore worked efficiently through the Arizona lineup while the Cardinals scratched across the game's first run in the second inning. José Fermín worked a walk, stole second base, and came around to score when rookie Blaze Jordan lined an RBI double into the outfield to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead.

The Cardinals carried that advantage into the fourth inning, but everything changed in a matter of minutes.

Arizona's Six-Run Fourth Changes Everything
The Diamondbacks delivered the biggest offensive inning of their road trip with two outs.

Corbin Carroll ignited the rally with a leadoff single before Gabriel Moreno reached safely. Arizona continued to pressure Liberatore, loading the bases and forcing the Cardinals' starter into difficult situations.

Ildemaro Vargas stepped to the plate with two runners aboard and delivered the first crushing blow of the inning, driving a two-run double into left field to put Arizona ahead.

Moments later, rookie LuJames Groover created a memory he'll never forget.

Groover launched the first home run of his Major League career over the outfield wall, extending Arizona's lead while celebrating a milestone that every young player dreams about.

Before Busch Stadium could recover from Groover's celebration, Ketel Marte stepped into the batter's box and immediately followed with another home run.

Back-to-back home runs pushed the Diamondbacks in front 6-1 and completely shifted the momentum of the game.
Five of Arizona's six runs in the inning came with two outs, demonstrating the relentless approach that defined the offensive explosion.

Every Starter Contributes
Arizona's lineup produced one of its most balanced performances of the season.

Every Diamondbacks starter collected at least one hit as the offense finished with 12 hits and nine runs.

Tommy Troy continued to impress, finishing 2-for-5 with two RBIs while providing production from the top of the lineup.

Ketel Marte continued his All-Star caliber season with his 13th home run, while Groover's milestone blast instantly became one of the highlights of Arizona's 2026 campaign.

Vargas' two-run double served as the catalyst that opened the floodgates, proving once again how valuable timely hitting can be in close games.

Arizona added insurance runs throughout the late innings, preventing the Cardinals from ever mounting a serious comeback.

Mitch Bratt Makes Franchise History
Although his outing lasted only three innings, Mitch Bratt's debut will forever be remembered in Diamondbacks history.
The young left-hander became the first Canadian pitcher ever to make his Major League debut wearing an Arizona uniform.

Bratt allowed just one earned run while showing poise against an experienced Cardinals lineup before manager Torey Lovullo turned the game over to the bullpen.

Ryan Thompson entered in relief and earned the victory, improving to 3-1 after providing two solid innings that stabilized the middle of the game.

Arizona's bullpen continued to perform well the rest of the evening, limiting St. Louis to four total runs while protecting the sizable lead.

Liberatore's June Struggles Continue
Matthew Liberatore entered the game searching for consistency, but Arizona's fourth inning only deepened his difficult month.

After cruising through the first three innings, Liberatore struggled to finish hitters once Arizona began putting runners on base.

The Diamondbacks capitalized on nearly every mistake, handing Liberatore another disappointing outing as his June ERA continued to climb.

The Cardinals' bullpen eventually slowed Arizona's offense, but the damage had already been done.

Cardinals Unable to Recover
Blaze Jordan continued to provide encouraging offense for St. Louis, finishing with three RBIs while continuing an impressive start to his Major League career.

José Fermín reached base multiple times, scored twice, and added a solo home run in the ninth inning.

Despite those individual performances, the Cardinals managed only eight hits and were unable to overcome Arizona's massive fourth inning.

Once the Diamondbacks grabbed control, they never surrendered it.

Team Statistics
​Arizona finished the night with:

St. Louis finished with:

Game Time: 2 hours, 54 minutes
Attendance: 22,376 at Busch Stadium.

What This Win Means
For Arizona, the victory represented far more than another mark in the win column.

The Diamondbacks showcased the type of complete baseball capable of carrying them through the second half of the season. The offense produced timely hits throughout the lineup, the bullpen protected a comfortable lead, and one of the organization's promising young pitchers successfully reached the Major Leagues.

Groover's first career home run, Bratt's historic debut, and an offense that featured contributions from every starter gave Arizona several reasons for optimism as the club looked to build momentum heading toward the All-Star break.

​If performances like Wednesday's become more consistent, the Diamondbacks could quickly become one of the more dangerous teams in the National League playoff race.

Past Diamondbacks Articles:
Diamondbacks Escape Late Rally, Defeat Cardinals 4-3 in Busch Stadium Thriller 
Diamondbacks Come Up Short in St. Louis as Cardinals Take Series Opener 3-2 

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