ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals, who had won only one game in each of the preceding two weeks, got a jump on this week Monday night.
Having lost nine of their past 10 and 11 of 13, the Cardinals engaged in a back-and-forth with the Miami Marlins, finally prevailing 4-2 in a battle of bullpens before a paid house of 24,281 at Busch Stadium
After Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, weakening only in the third, held the Marlins to two runs over six innings, Genesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes, who gained his 17th save in 17 tries, shut down the Marlins for an inning apiece. The Marlins’ bullpen pitched three scoreless frames but, facing Dylan Floro, Tyler O’Neill doubled for the second time in the game in the eighth inning, scoring Dylan Carlson with the go-ahead run on a ball that came off the bat 108 mph. .
An infield dribbler by Paul DeJong with the bases loaded pushed home the second run in the inning as the Cardinals topped the Marlins for the fourth time in four meetings this season, with the first three coming in Florida in April.
Carlson drew a leadoff walk from Floro, Miami’s fifth pitcher, and moved up on a single by Paul Goldschmidt, who had four strong at-bats on Monday.
Nolan Arenado flied out but O’Neill doubled off the left-field wall. With runners at second and third and one out, the Marlins walked Yadier Molina intentionally before DeJong fisted home the fourth run.
There was plenty of action early as runners from both teams failed to score on extra-base hits.
Wainwright, backing up the plate in proper position in the Miami second inning, was in perfect position to see that a sliding Adam Duvall, trying to score on former Cardinal Magneuris Sierra’s two-out double to right center, had not touched the plate with his left hand as he tried to slide around Molina. Molina had bobbled second baseman Sosa’s relay but home-plate umpire Larry Vanover made no call and Wainwright, seeing this unfold, yelled to Molina, who had picked up the ball at this point.
Duvall, apparently realizing he had missed the plate on his first go-round, stabbed at it with his leg but was tagged by Molina and Vanover made the out call. The replay process, requested by Marlins manager Don Mattingly, who challenged that Molina had blocked the plate in the first place, took 3 minutes 2 seconds but the out call stood.
Right fielder Tommy Edman made the initial throw home after center fielder Carlson was unable to corral Sierra’s hit in a sliding attempt and Edman fielded the carom.
The Cardinals then took a 1-0 lead in their second when Sosa singled with one out to score Molina, who had singled with one out and moved up on a walk to DeJong.
Wainwright sacrificed the runners over, getting down an 0-2 bunt. But Edman lined to third baseman Isan Diaz.
