ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to rally past the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium III, splitting the two-game interleague series after a 2-1 loss in the opener.

Texas, which entered the game with a 29-31 record, improved to 30-31. St. Louis fell to 31-28. The attendance was 24,859, and the game lasted 3 hours, 1 minute.

The Rangers managed only nine hits against five Cardinals pitchers but made them count, especially in the late innings. St. Louis outhit Texas 13-9, including a home run from Nolan Gorman, but could not hold a one-run lead in the ninth.

Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi worked five innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out seven. He left with the game tied 2-2 after the top of the fifth. Cal Quantrill, who pitched the sixth and seventh innings, was credited with the win, improving to 3-0. Jakob Junis earned his fourth save of the season by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the ninth.

St. Louis starter Dustin May pitched five innings, giving up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts. The Cardinals turned to Riley O’Brien in the ninth inning. O’Brien, who entered with a 3-2 record, was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in one inning of work. His final line: one inning, three hits, three earned runs, two strikeouts.

The game began quietly. Joc Pederson doubled for Texas in the first inning but was stranded as the next three batters struck out. St. Louis loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning on a walk to Bryan Torres, a single by Masyn Winn and a single by Jimmy Crooks that scored Torres, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

Texas tied the game in the fourth inning when Gorman homered to left field, his seventh of the year, making it 2-1 St. Louis. The Rangers responded in the fifth. Evan Carter singled and Kyle Higashioka singled, putting runners at first and third. Nicky Lopez grounded into a force play that scored Carter. Pederson then doubled to left, scoring Lopez and giving Texas a 3-2 lead.

Texas added a run in the sixth inning. Jake Burger walked and advanced to second on a groundout by Ezequiel Duran. Alejandro Osuna singled to right, driving in Burger and extending the lead to 4-2.

St. Louis cut the deficit to 4-3 in the seventh. JJ Wetherholt singled, and Iván Herrera was hit by a pitch. Alec Burleson doubled to left, scoring Wetherholt. Jordan Walker singled, driving in Herrera and tying the game at 4-4. The Cardinals then had runners at first and third with one out, but reliever Cal Quantrill struck out Nelson Velázquez and Masyn Winn, then got José Fermín to line out to left field to escape the jam.

Texas broke the tie in the ninth against Riley O’Brien. Evan Carter walked, and Higashioka singled, putting runners at first and third. Michael Helman, running for Higashioka, advanced to second on a strikeout. Pederson singled to left, scoring Carter. Josh Jung singled to right, plating Helman and moving Pederson to third. Brandon Nimmo then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Pederson and giving Texas a 7-4 lead.

Jakob Junis entered for the bottom of the ninth. Alec Burleson struck out, Jordan Walker grounded out, and Nelson Velázquez singled but Masyn Winn popped out to first base to end the game.

The most important sequence of the game came in the top of the ninth inning, when Texas rallied for three runs after the Cardinals had tied the game in the seventh. St. Louis had momentum after scoring two runs to erase a 4-2 deficit, but the Rangers immediately answered with a three-run outburst against O’Brien, who had not allowed an earned run in his previous three appearances.

Key performances included Pederson’s two doubles and a single, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Higashioka had three hits, including a double, and scored twice. Burleson went 2 for 5 with an RBI for St. Louis. Gorman’s homer was his seventh of the season. Wetherholt had two hits. For Texas, Duran walked once and scored a run, while Carter walked twice, singled and scored twice.

Bryan Torres, St. Louis’s left fielder, went 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout. Victor Scott II went 1 for 3 with a sacrifice bunt. José Fermín, who pinch-hit and played third base, went 0 for 1. Gordon Graceffo pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing no hits and striking out one. JoJo Romero also pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit and one earned run with one strikeout.

The game was the second of a two-game set. Texas returns Wednesday for the series finale before traveling home to host Cleveland on Friday. St. Louis remains home to face Cincinnati on Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of St. Louis 4, Texas 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected St. Louis with a 52.20 percent probability to win. Texas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 11 went under the over/under line of 7.5.