The Corner Rundown: Guardians 9, Cardinals 3
Date: April 13, 2026
Matchup: Cleveland Guardians at St. Louis Cardinals
Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
The Guardians opened their series in St. Louis with a clean 9-3 win Monday night, getting early thunder from Angel Martínez, a big swing from Brayan Rocchio, and a steady enough outing from Gavin Williams to keep the Cardinals from ever really taking control. Cleveland jumped out early, answered when St. Louis tried to hang around, and finished the job with a late push.
🔑 Key Performers
Angel Martínez set the tone right away with a leadoff homer and finished with two hits and two RBIs. It was the kind of start that instantly changed the feel of the night for Cleveland.
Brayan Rocchio delivered one of the biggest swings of the game with a two-run homer in the sixth, helping the Guardians create breathing room after St. Louis tried to chip back into it.
Gavin Williams gave Cleveland 5+ innings, allowed two runs, and kept the Cardinals from stringing together the kind of crooked inning that flips a game. He was not overpowering, but he was in control when it mattered.
Steven Kwan chipped in with two RBIs, while Daniel Schneemann also drove in two as Cleveland kept pressure on the Cardinals lineup all night.
📝 Game Summary
Cleveland wasted no time getting on the board when Martínez jumped on one in the first inning and sent it out. St. Louis answered in the bottom half, but the Guardians took control for good in the fourth, putting together a three-run inning that exposed some sloppy Cardinals defense and gave Cleveland a 4-1 edge.
The Cardinals never fully disappeared, but every time it looked like they might make things uncomfortable, the Guardians had an answer. Rocchio’s two-run shot in the sixth made it 6-2, and Cleveland added three more in the eighth to slam the door. By the end of the night, the Guardians had turned a tight early game into a comfortable road win.
It was the kind of bounce-back effort Cleveland needed after getting drilled in Atlanta on Sunday. The lineup had life, the at-bats were productive, and the pitching staff did enough to let the offense control the story.
📊 Notable Stats
- Guardians: 9 runs, 11 hits, 0 errors
- Cardinals: 3 runs, 9 hits, 1 error
- Angel Martínez: 2 hits, home run, 2 RBIs
- Brayan Rocchio: 2-run home run
- Steven Kwan: 2 RBIs
- Daniel Schneemann: 2 RBIs
- Gavin Williams: win, 5+ innings, 2 runs allowed
🎥 Watch the Highlights
💸 The Betting Corner
The Guardians closed Monday night as a slight favorite at around -122 on the moneyline. On the run line, Cleveland was -1.5 at plus money. They cashed both. If you backed the Guardians to win outright, you got there comfortably. If you laid the run and a half, Cleveland covered that too with room to spare in the 9-3 final.
For the next game, FanDuel listed Cleveland at roughly -122 on the moneyline against St. Louis, with the Cardinals at +102. The total opened at 8.5.
🔜 Next Game
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Time: 7:45 PM ET
Matchup: Cleveland Guardians at St. Louis Cardinals
Location: Busch Stadium
Probable Starters:
Guardians: Joey Cantillo
Cardinals: Michael McGreevy