Jose Fermin’s two-run double with one out in the ninth inning capped a four-run rally as the St. Louis Cardinals overcame a near-shutout and beat the host Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Monday.

St. Louis, which had lost four straight and five of six, was hitless through 6 2/3 innings and scoreless through 8 1/3 before breaking through against Dennis Santana, who came into the contest with two saves and a 0.69 ERA with only one earned run allowed in 13 appearances.

Those numbers took a hit right away as Pedro Pages, St. Louis’s backup catcher, and rookie JJ Wetherholt hit back-to-back home runs off Santana (2-2) to even the game.

It was Pages’ third home run of the season, and second in his last two games, while Wetherholt went deep for the third straight game and sixth time this season.

Ivan Herrera walked, Alec Burleson reached base on his second infield single of the game and Jordan Walker also walked to load the bases for Fermin, who went 2-for-2 after coming in as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

Fermin’s double to left plated pinch runner Victor Scott II and Burleson.

Ryan Fernandez (1-0) struck out four in two perfect innings of relief, and George Soriano worked around a two-out single for his first save.

Dustin May had another solid outing on the hill for St. Louis. He came in with wins in each of his last three starts. Although that streak was broken, he kept the Cardinals in the game, allowing two runs while scattering seven hits and striking out two over six innings.

The Pirates, in a bullpen game, kept St. Louis off the basepaths entirely for the first 6 2/3 innings. Mason Montgomery started, and Justin Lawrence followed, each tossing a scoreless inning with one strikeout.

Wilber Dotel, making just his third major league appearance, threw four perfect innings and struck out three.

Evan Sisk allowed the first hit in the seventh — Burleson’s first infield single — but he, Isaac Mattson and Gregory Soto kept the Cardinals off the board until Santana entered in the ninth.

Ryan O’Hearn and Jake Mangum drove in runs for Pittsburgh, which dropped its second straight game. Mangum had two hits, while Nick Gonzales extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.

–Field Level Media

Arch Manning has opened as the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the next NFL draft for the second consecutive year.

The Texas quarterback was installed as the +250 favorite by DraftKings. That’s ahead of fellow quarterbacks Dante Moore (+380) of Oregon, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr (+650) and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellars (+1200).

After only two quarterbacks were selected in the first round on Friday — including the Rams surprising many by taking Ty Simpson at No. 13 — the 2027 quarterback class is projected to be much deeper.

It’s led by Manning, who was installed as the +200 favorite by DraftKings following the conclusion of the 2025 class to be the No. 1 pick this year. Manning endured some struggles the first half of last season before finishing strong, and opted to return for another year with the Longhorns.

Moore also decided to return to school despite being projected as a potential top-5 selection, boosting a ’27 quarterback class that already boasted intriguing talent. Carr is coming off a strong first season as Notre Dame’s starter, while Sellars is looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 for the Gamecocks.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has the shortest odds among non-quarterback. He is being offered at +1400 along with new Miami Hurricanes signal-caller Darian Mensah.

2027 NFL DRAFT NO. 1 PICK ODDS*

Arch Manning, QB, Texas (+250)

Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (+380)

CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame (+650)

LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina (+1200)

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (+1400)

Darian Mensah, QB, Miami, Fla. (+1400)

Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State (+1800)

Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State (+2000)

Dylan Steward, LB, South Carolina (+2200)

Colin Simmons, LB, Texas (+3000)

Dayden Maiava, QB, Southern Cal (+3500)

Nico Iamaleava, QB, UCLA (+4000)

Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana (+4000)

Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas (+5000)

Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU (+5000)

Jordan Seaton, OT, Colorado (+5000)

John Matter, QB, Oklahoma (+5000)

John Henry Daley, DE, Michigan (+5000)

DJ Lagway, QB, Baylor (+5000)

Demond Williams, QB, Washington (+5000)

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss (+7500)

*DraftKings

–Field Level Media

Left-hander Ranger Suarez pitched eight innings of one-hit ball Monday night as the visiting Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0.

Suarez (2-2) struck out 10 and walked one in the opener of a three-game series. Greg Weissert pitched around a double in the ninth to complete the shutout.

The Red Sox have won three in a row for the first time this season, the past two under interim manager Chad Tracy.

Carlos Narvaez hit a solo homer for Boston, and Marcelo Mayer and Wilyer Abreu each had two hits, a walk and an RBI.

Boston opened the scoring in the fourth inning against Dylan Cease (1-1). Willson Contreras led off with a single, took second when Abreu walked with one out and scored on Mayer’s two-out single to center.

The Red Sox scored twice in the fifth.

Caleb Durbin walked with one out and was forced at second on Jarren Duran’s grounder to second. Contreras was hit by a pitch, and the runners advanced when Cease’s pickoff throw to second sailed into center field.

Duran came home when Cease tripped moving off the mound in an attempt to field Roman Anthony’s infield hit, a trickler near the first base line. Abreu lined an RBI double to right that Jesus Sanchez dropped at the warning track.

Boston took a 4-0 lead in the sixth. Mayer led off with a walk and took second on Ceddanne Rafaela’s single. A double-play grounder put Mayer at third, and he scored on Durbin’s soft single to left. Joe Mantiply then replaced Cease, who allowed four runs, seven hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.

Toronto had only a walk before Sanchez led off the home sixth with a double past third base. Suarez escaped the inning with two strikeouts and a flyout.

Narvaez hit a homer to left-center with two outs in the eighth on a 2-2 sweeper from Chase Lee, who was recalled Monday from Triple-A Buffalo.

Toronto put Max Scherzer on the injured list due to tendinitis in his right foreman and inflammation in his left ankle.

–Field Level Media