Cardinals' Willson Contreras Hits Walk-Off Single in 10th to Beat Royals

Willson Contreras played a pivotal role in the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the first game of a doubleheader, driving in the winning run with a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning during his 1,000th MLB game. Contreras contributed throughout the game with a double, a run scored, and four hits total, marking his first multi-hit game since May 16 and extending his hitting streak to six games. The Cardinals overcame an early 3-0 deficit, highlighted by Iván Herrera's two-run homer in the eighth inning that gave them a temporary lead, though the Royals tied it in the ninth. Royals starter Noah Cameron delivered six scoreless innings but reliever Carlos Estévez took the loss after giving up the decisive hit. The Cardinals had struggled in extra innings this season with an 0-4 record but secured their first extra-innings win of 2025 in this game. The teams will continue their series with the Royals heading to Chicago and the Cardinals hosting the Dodgers next.