ST. LOUIS – Their veterans mostly gone following offseason trades and their power almost entirely limited to MLB home run leader Jordan Walker, the Cardinals knew they would likely have to win games on the margins this season and that meant cranking up the pressure on foes with how they relentlessly ran the bases. 

Already far and away MLB’s leaders in extra bases taken, the Cardinals cranked up the pressure on the Guardians on Wednesday and put on something of a baserunning clinic while winning 5-3 at Busch Stadium. 

Walk-off winners a night earlier, the Cardinals rallied for an MLB-best-tying eighth time on Wednesday and won by running their way to four stolen bases. They also nabbed three extra bases when Cleveland outfielders missed cut-off targets or dropped their guards. The Cardinals entered Wednesday with an MLB-most 34 bases taken – 12 more than the next closest team – and they succeeded with their mission in winning the three-game series against the Guardians. 

“(Baserunning) is one of the little things that we need to do and we’ve got the guys here to do it,” said Alec Burleson, who moved up to second in the first inning on a poor outfield throw and he drove in two more runs in the sixth when the Cardinals loaded the bases. “That’s one of the parts of the game that we need to make sure that we take advantage of. I think we’ve done a really good job of looking for those changes. You may not even see it in the box score, but guys are always trying to take those extra bases with steals or on overthrows. It’s something we have to take pride in if we want to get where we want to get to. We’ve done a really good job of it, so far.” 

The Cardinals combined their opportunistic baserunning with some stellar work from starter Dustin May and relievers JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien. May (2-2) won for the second time as a Cardinal, while foes have yet to score and earned run this season on Romero (five holds) or O’Brien (five saves).         

“The biggest thing for me is just staying present and focusing on things pitch by pitch,” said O’Brien, who has been unscored upon in 10 1/3 innings thus far. “In the past I’d give up a hit, or something wouldn’t go my way and things would compile. So, this year, regardless of the result of the pitch, I take what I can from it and move onto the next one.”

After seeing his franchise trade away Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan over the winter, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol made it a point to have the team looking to be more aggressive on the basepaths this season. Ivan Herrera, JJ Wetherholt, Burleson and Walker have been credited for nabbing five extra bases this season, while four other players have taken advantage of defenses with four extra bases gained.

The results are the byproduct of a group effort, Marmol said. 

“It’s just a combination of every guy being on point and different guys taking an extra 90 feet because we were in a game where you needed every bit of it,” Marmol said. “I give a lot of credit to our staff as well. (Bench coach Daniel Descalso) is on it as far as recapping it, (Jon) Jay has done an incredible job on the bases along with (third base coach) Pop (Warner) and (first base coach) Stubby (Clapp).  

“Every time the other team makes a pitching change guys are looking for every chance to take advantage. And in the hitter’s meeting prior, guys have a really good idea of what’s possible and what we can expose. They’ve done a really good job of that.” 

The Cardinals were so dialed in to the pitcher’s tells on Wednesday that lumbering catcher Pedro Pages got a huge lead against Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi and swiped third base for steal No. 3 of his MLB career. Said Pages: “I was so happy when I did that. Last year, I didn’t get a steal, and I got two my first year. That’s something that is a lot of fun.”      

Wetherholt, one of the heroes from Tuesday’s come-from-behind win with two home runs, lofted a fly ball into center for a sacrifice fly that scored Masyn Winn in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie.

Nathan Church, who recorded his second three-hit day of the season, scored the Cardinals’ first run in the second inning by reaching on a bunt single, stealing second and scoring on a Pages single. During the three-run sixth inning, Church reached on a single and scored on Alec Burleson’s single back up the middle. Then, after Cleveland got within 4-3, Church provided some insurance by lacing a 106-mph double into the right field corner to plate pinch-runner Ramon Urias.

Cardinals’ slugger Jordan Walker didn’t grow his MLB-leading homer total, but he did push his hitting streak to 11 games with a double in the eighth inning. During the streak, Walker has homered seven times, drilled 17 hits and compiled five multi-hit games.

Wetherholt and Herrera were on base five times without a hit on Wednesday, and they set the stage for the Cardinals to take advantage of the Guardians with their aggressiveness.

“I’m in a really good spot being in the lead-off spot because I’m just trying to get on base and pass the torch to the guys behind me,” said Wetherholt, whose .354 on base percentage trails only that of Herrera (.386), Burleson (.375) and Walker (.373). “Ivan ranks, Burly rakes, Walker is raking right now and it just carries throughout our lineup.”

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