Cards begin series with Padres tonight at 6:40pm on 96.3 WTIM
Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Matt Carpenter had three hits and scored twice
and Justin Masterson pitched a gem as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Marlins
on Wednesday, 5-2, to avoid getting swept in Miami for the first time since
1995.
Masterson (2-1) was dominant in his third start for the Cards since coming
over in a trade from the Indians. The veteran righty allowed just three hits
over seven efficient innings.
Masterson had allowed 10 runs on 14 hits in eight innings over his first two
starts with his new club.
Matt Adams drove in a pair of runs and Masterson had his first career RBI for
the Cards, who salvaged the third and final game of this series. The Marlins
haven't swept the Cardinals at home since July 28-30, 1995.
Marlins starter Nathan Eovaldi (6-7) took the loss after surrendering all four
runs -- two earned -- on eight hits over six innings of work.
Jon Jay led off the visiting third with a single to left and moved to third on
Carpenter's base hit two batters later. Kolten Wong struck out for the second
out of the inning but Matt Holliday drew a walk to load the bases for Adams,
who bounced a two-run single to right.
Carpenter scored the third Cardinals run on an error in the fifth inning and
Masterson helped himself in the sixth, delivering an RBI single to shallow
right field with two outs. Oscar Taveras reached base earlier in the inning on
Jordany Valdespin's error and scored when Masterson chopped one in between
first and second base and into right field.
Sam Dyson walked Daniel Descalso with the bases loaded in the eighth to make
it 5-0.
Jeff Baker's sixth-career pinch-hit home run against Kevin Siegrist in the
bottom of the ninth made it 5-2, but Trevor Rosenthal came on and recorded the
final out to end the game.