Jeff Suppan was basically Suppanesque, and Matt Holliday drove in a run on an RBI triple, but the Cardinals were once more unable to sweep a team they had down 2-0. For the eighth time this season, they plucked the first two games of the series and then found the final game pulled out from under them.
It was a frustrating game for each side; the Cardinals' 25 runners left on base would be horrifying had the Diamondbacks not left runners on base 23 times themselves. But in the end it was Suppan (0-4), and not Diamondbacks rookie Barry Enright (1-0), making his Major League debut, who pitched himself into and out of one jam too many. In the fifth inning Suppan left a runner on for Diamondbacks center fielder Chris Young, who hit a crucial home run to put the Diamondbacks up 3-1.
The Cardinals rallied in the ninth against newly installed Diamondbacks closer Aaron Heilman, who earlier in the series managed to lose game one without giving up a walk or a hit. With one out Matt Holliday and Colby Rasmus singled to install the go-ahead run at home plate in the person of Nick Stavinoha, replacing a still-gimpy Ryan Ludwick in right field. Stavinoha, who went 1-5, flew out to right field. From Tony La Russa's incredibly thin bench came Aaron Miles, in to pinch hit for Jason LaRue. Miles watched two pitches go by and then flew out to Justin Upton to end the game.
Holliday went 2-4 for the Cardinals, and Skip Schumaker added two hits in the leadoff role. Stephen Drew and Chris Snyder combined for five hits for the Diamondbacks, who improved to 31-48.