Edman drives in 3 runs, LeBlanc sharp as Cards beat Twins

Tommy Edman drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double, Wade LeBlanc pitched 5 2/3 strong innings and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 on Friday night.

LeBlanc matched a season-high in innings pitched. He worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth, and stranded six baserunners in the first four innings.

Ryan Helsley (6-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes worked the eighth and ninth, respectively.

Edman’s bases-clearing double off Tyler Duffey (2-3) broke a 1-all tie in the sixth, hitting the right field foul line before going into the corner. It was Edman’s second three-RBI game this season, and first since May 19 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nolan Arenado added an RBI single in the seventh. He has hit safely in eight of his last nine games.

Griffin Jax, who was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul prior to the game, allowed just two hits in a season-high five innings. His only blemish was yielding a sacrifice fly to Harrison Bader that scored Tyler O’Neill in the fourth.

Andrelton Simmons snapped a 0-for-9 streak with an RBI single that gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the second.

MILESTONE

Paul Goldschmidt collected career hit 1,500 with a single in the sixth.

SWITCHING JERSEYS

Before the game, the Twins and Cardinals completed a trade as Minnesota sent LHP J.A. Happ and cash considerations to St. Louis in exchange for RHP John Gant and minor league LHP Evan Sisk. Happ will slide into the Cardinals’ starting rotation, while Gant will bolster the Twins’ bullpen.

ROSTER MOVES

Both teams were busy at the trade deadline.

The Twins traded two-time All Star RHP José Berríos to the Toronto Blue Jays for a pair of prospects, and RHP Hansel Robles to the Boston Red Sox for another prospect. They also claimed Edgar García from the Cincinnati Reds and recalled LHP Charlie Barnes from Triple-A St. Paul.

The Cardinals acquired LHP Jon Lester from the Washington Nationals in exchange for OF Lane Thomas, and recalled OF Lars Nootbaar from Triple-A Memphis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: IF Josh Donaldson (tight right hamstring) was a late scratch from the starting lineup.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (right forearm tightness) threw four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out two and walking one in a rehab start at Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.

UP NEXT

The Twins will start RHP Bailey Ober (1-1, 5.19 ERA) in the second of a three-game series against RHP Jake Woodford (2-2, 4.25 ERA) and the Cardinals on Saturday night. Ober is coming off a career-high 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels on July 25. Woodford suffered his first loss as a big league starting pitcher, giving up three runs in five innings at Cincinnati on July 24.