ST. LOUIS — Just when it looked like the Cardinals were almost helpless to stop the Milwaukee Brewers’ recent run of dominance, they scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth against lights-out closer Devin Williams, and Nolan Arenado delivered a walk-off grand slam in extra innings.

Arenado’s 10th-inning grand slam gave the Cardinals a 10-6 win over the Brewers and kept hopes of a Cardinals series win alive. The blast marked the third walk-off win for the Cardinals this season. It also gave Arenado his fifth career game-ending home run and his sixth-career grand slam.

The Cardinals (62-64) rallied and tied the game twice in the final three innings to get the game to an extra frame before they earned the victory in front of the smallest non-pandemic crowd (announced attendance) in Busch Stadium III history on Wednesday night. The announced crowd of 29,580 witnessed the Cardinals even the three-game set at one game apiece.

The teams will play a rubber match on Thursday afternoon.

Trailing by two in the ninth, Willson Contreras got hit by a pitch, Jose Fermin doubled and Lars Nootbaar drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Paul Goldschmidt was then called out on a strike three off the plate inside.

However, Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham each walked with the bases still loaded and tied the score to set the stage for the 10th inning.

Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley retired the side on a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to keep the automatic runner from scoring.

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the 10th with the help of the automatic runner, an intentional walk of Contreras and a walk by Fermin. That brought Arenado to the plate against Brewers reliever Trevor Megill.

Arenado (3 for 5) swatted a 1-2 curveball into the left-field seats for his 14th homer of the season.

Cardinals rookie shortstop Masyn Winn had three hits (3 for 6) and Luken Baker hit a pinch-hit home run on his first swing in the majors this season. The Cardinals snapped a seven-game win streak for the Brewers (73-53) at Busch Stadium.

Carpenter and Nootbaar in the lineup

With Nolan Gorman optioned to Triple-A prior to the game, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol suggested that will likely translate into more at-bats for outfielder Pham as well as designated hitter/infielder Carpenter.

Brendan Donovan, who has played a lot in the outfield this season (85 starts), figures to take most of the playing time at second base with Gorman gone.

Wednesday night, Pham started in left field, Lars Nootbaar started in center field and Alec Burleson started in right field. Carpenter, who hit a pinch-hit home run on Tuesday night served as the designated hitter.

Carpenter had just 25 plate appearances from the start of July through Tuesday night — he was on the injured list from Aug. 9-Aug.19 — and he appeared in 13 games, including his pinch-hit at-bat on Tuesday night. During that span, he’d gone 7 for 23 (.304) with two doubles, two home runs, two walks, five RBIs and 11 strikeouts.

Nootbaar, who started in center field for the first time since August 10, entered the night having hit in nine of his previous 10 games against the Brewers. He also entered the night with nine hits in eight games against the Brewers this season.

Nootbaar had also homered for his lone previous hit (1 for 2) against Brewers starting pitcher Tobias Myers.

Marmol cited starting pitcher Kyle Gibson’s knack for getting a high volume of ground balls as part of the consideration for starting Nootbaar in center field. Gibson got three double plays in the first three innings.

Trying to create offense, running into an out

The Cardinals put runners on first and third with two outs in the second inning against Myers thanks to a two-out bunt by Carpenter that Myers fielded and threw wildly past Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

The wild throw allowed Carpenter to reach and Nootbaar to advance from first base to third base.

With Pham at the plate and two strikes, Carpenter broke from first base and drew a throw from Brewers catcher Wiliam Contreras. Carpenter stopped short of second base and forced Brewers second baseman Brice Turang to chase him and tag him out.

However, Nootbaar did not break from third base in an attempt to score. Turang tagged Carpenter out and concluded the inning. Pham led off the third inning with a single.

Bases-loaded opportunity for Cardinals

With the score still 0-0 in the fourth inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases on a leadoff double by Arenado, a Nootbaar single and a one-out walk by Carpenter after Goldschmidt struck out.

That brought Pham to the plate with one out and the bases loaded. Pham, acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 29, hit a grand slam in his first at-bat with the Cardinals this season in a win over the Texas Rangers.

Wednesday night against Myers and the Brewers, Pham swatted a sacrifice fly to right field that provided the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Nootbaar also advanced to third base on the sacrifice fly.

Winn followed with a two-strike RBI single on the ground into left field, and that gave the Cardinals a two-run advantage.

Myers threw 89 pitches to get through four innings.

A walk turns into a run against Gibson

The Brewers cut the two-run deficit in half in the top of the fifth thanks to a one-out walk by Hoskins.

Gibson fell behind 3-0 against Hoskins, but he got strike one when Hoskins foul tipped a 3-0 pitch. The next pitch appeared to be at the bottom of the strike zone, but was called a ball and Hoskins reached on the second walk of the game issued by Gibson.

Gibson’s first walk of the game was neutralized by a double play.

Sal Frelick followed with a single that allowed Hoskins to go from first to third, then Joey Ortiz’s sacrifice fly gave the Brewers their first run of the game.

Brewers knot it up in the sixth

Gibson gave up a leadoff triple to Jackson Chourio on a ball hit into the left-field corner. Pham went into a slide on the run in an attempt to keep the ball out of the corner, but the ball skipped past Pham and allowed Chourio to get to third.

Gibson rolled his left ankle during the next at-bat with Garrett Mitchell, but Gibson remained in the game and struck out Mitchell.

With Chourio still at third base, William Contreras hit a double down the third base line, drove in the tying run and prompted Marmol to call upon reliever Ryan Fernandez out of the bullpen.

Fernandez walked the first batter he faced and William Contreras advanced to third base on a ball that Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras couldn’t glove.

However, Fernandez and Willson Contreras got a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play to end the inning with the score still tied 2-2.

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