With C Yadier Molina away from the team while on the bereavement list, the St. Louis Cardinals (46-40) needed their reserve, C Tony Cruz, to step up against the Miami Marlins (41-44). And Cruz indeed meet the challenge, hitting a triple in the fourth inning on Saturday to give the Cards a 3-2 win.
SP Kyle Lohse (W, 9-2) got the win as he pitched 7.0 strong innings, allowing only 2 earned runs on 4 strikeouts, 1 walk and 1 home run allowed. On the other side, SP Carlos Zambrano (L, 4-7) lasted only 5.0 innings with 4 strikeouts, 2 walks and no home runs allowed, but he did allow all 3 of the Cardinals runs.
The crucial runs came in the fourth inning. 1B Allen Craig (3 for 4 on the day) hit a leadoff single. 3B David Freese followed with a walk, then 2B Skip Shumaker singled to left, putting the score at 2-1, Miami lead. Cruz then connected for his only hit of the day, a line drive triple to right field to put the Cardinals up 3-2.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series,check out Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos and Marlins blog Fish Stripes. News and notes from around Major League Baseball can be found at Baseball Nation.
