Saint Louis, Missouri - The Cardinals got their second-straight win against the Rockies but had to hang tough towards the end to avoid a Colorado comeback.

All-Star catcher and certain Hall of Famer Yadier Molina (38) was back in a big way for St. Louis for the first time since April, helping the Cardinals get the win at home over the Rockies 9-8.

Molina had been out of the lineup nursing a strained tendon in his right foot. But he was back in rare form driving in three runs, helping the Cards build enough to win on Saturday.

St. Louis had controlled the first few innings of the game, but then the Rockies roared back with four runs to tie the game at 5-5. The Cardinals struck right back with four of their own to jump out to a 9-5 lead that carried into the eighth inning. It was then when the Rockies attempted a comeback with three more runs, but couldn't muster more, resulting in a tough loss for Colorado.

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Paul Goldschmidt was a major player for the Cards, going 3-for-5, scoring three runs with three RBI, including a two-run homer. Dylan Carlson went 2-for-3, also scoring three runs, while Paul DeJong also batted 2-for-3 with two RBI in the win.

In a valiant effort by the Rockies, Charlie Blackmon went 3-for-4, batting in two and scoring a run on his own. Raimel Tapia was 2-for-4 with one RBI and also scored a pair himself.

The Cardinals have now taken the first two from the Rockies in their three-game set and will be hoping for the sweep on Sunday afternoon.

Gleyber Torres hit a game-tying single and a game-winning single to help the Yankees beat the Nationals in extra innings 4-3. The Giants have won two in a row against the Padres with a 7-1 win, while the A's also have their second-straight victory over the Rays 6-3. The Tigers pulled away late to defeat the Twins 7-3.

In Cleveland, the Indians turned things around after being no-hit in their previous meeting to beat the Reds 9-2. And the Brewers ended a six-game skid, beating the Marlins 6-2. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have won three straight with an 11-6 win over the Orioles. And the Mets got their fourth-straight victory by defeating the Diamondbacks 4-2.

The Blue Jays got a big road win, beating the Astros 8-4, while the White Sox blew out the Royals 9-1. The Rangers held off the Mariners at home 9-8, while the Cubs just got by the Pirates 3-2.

The Braves needed 12 innings to get past the Phillies 8-7. And the Dodgers almost gave up a 13-run lead to hold on for the 14-11 win over the Angels.

On Sunday, the White Sox look for the sweep against the Royals in Kansas City, and the Giants are also looking to bring out the brooms against the Padres.