O’Neill’s game-ending HBP lifts Cards over Rockies 5-4

ST. LOUIS — Paul Goldschmidt and Tommy Edman homered, and St. Louis scored the winning run when Tyler O’Neill was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, leading the Cardinals to a 5-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Andrew Knizner and Lars Nootbaar drew walks off Dinelson Lamet (1-2) in the ninth, and Dylan Carlson reached on a bunt single to load the bases before O’Neill was plunked.

“They took good at-bats, worked full counts, and were able to get on there,” O’Neill said. “You could tell he was a little wild out there, so I just wanted to be a little selective, see a good pitch to hit, and ended up getting hit.”

Rockies manager Bud Black said Lamet couldn’t seem to find his release point.

“Usually when a pitcher isn’t able to find the strike zone, it’s usually release point and a little something in his delivery,” Black said.

José Quintana pitched no-hit ball with two walks for five innings before allowing two runs on four consecutive hits to lead off the sixth, ending his night.

“It’s a little tough when you get five straight innings quickly, and you face four hitters and now can’t get outs,” Quintana said. “The game was there, so I’m happy with how I threw the ball.”

Ryan Helsley (7-1) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to lower his ERA to 0.91 in 49 2/3 innings this season.

Kyle Freeland allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four batters in six innings to drop the Rockies to 13-42 since Busch Stadium III opened in 2006.

“I went back and looked at video of my start at home at Coors Field against them, and I was at the top of the zone with a lot of my arsenal,” Freeland said. “The key for me today was to get back to the bottom of the zone, execute in the bottom of the zone, and it paid off somewhat.”

Goldschmidt hit a sacrifice fly to left field off Lucas Gilbreath in the seventh inning to the game at 4. Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run double to right-center field off Packy Naughton in the seventh inning, driving in Wynton Bernard and Connor Joe to put Colorado up 4-3.

Bernard, a 31-year-old rookie, singled up the middle to break up Quintana’s no-hit bid and scored two batters later on a Blackmon single.

Goldschmidt’s two-run home run to left field off Freeland in the fifth inning was the 29th of the season and 100th as a member of the Cardinals.

“I had no idea how many homers I had,” Goldschmidt said. “It’s kind of crazy so I hadn’t thought about it at all, but it seems fast. It wasn’t like a goal or anything like that. I was just trying to do my job.”

Edman hit his eighth home run of the season off Freeland in the fourth inning to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead. It was his first home run since going deep on June 14 in the second game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Braves sign rookie OF Harris to $72 million, 8-year contract

ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie outfielder Michael Harris II, whose early-season promotion has bolstered the Atlanta Braves’ hopes for another championship run, has signed a $72 million, eight-year contract to remain with his hometown team.

The Braves announced the deal on Tuesday night.

The deal runs through the 2030 season and includes a $15 million team option for 2031 and a $20 million team option for 2032. Each option year is accompanied by a $5 million buyout. If both option years are activated, the total value of the contract would be $102 million over 10 years.

Harris, 21, has emerged as one of the National League’s top rookies as an offensive and defensive standout for the defending World Series champion Braves.

Harris is hitting .287 with 12 home runs, 13 stolen bases and 39 RBIs in 71 games after making his major league debut on May 28.

Harris is the youngest player in the majors and leads all qualified rookies with an .825 OPS.

Harris joins third baseman Austin Riley, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., first baseman Matt Olson and second baseman Ozzie Albies as Atlanta players whose long-term contracts include team options that carry through the 2027 season or longer.

Harris will earn $5 million in 2023 and 2024, $8 million in 2025 and 2026, $9 million in 2027, $10 million in 2028 and 2029 and $12 million in 2030.

Harris was born in DeKalb County, Georgia, and was drafted by the Braves out of Stockbridge High School, south of Atlanta.