LDN - Sports

Urena continues breakout season as Marlins top Cardinals

[July 05, 2017] ST. LOUIS -- The Miami Marlins, headed for a second half in which the only notable things they'll do as an organization are host the All-Star Game and probably trade a few established players for prospects, aren't totally without bright spots.

One of them took the mound at Busch Stadium on Tuesday and continued a breakout season that has given the team some sorely needed starting pitching.

Jose Urena fanned seven over five innings to earn his seventh victory of the year as Miami rallied from a two-run deficit to dump the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2.

"Guys like playing behind him," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "He works quick, he's aggressive and he's pitched well. They seem to have energy behind him."

Urena (7-3) gave up three hits, none until the fifth inning, and two runs while walking a pair of hitters. He probably could have lasted longer, but his pitch count hit 96 when he concluded the fifth.

Coupled with St. Louis' 2-0 lead, courtesy of Greg Garcia's two-run homer to right in the fifth inning, Mattingly had to pull Urena. But Urena was still the pitcher of record when Miami (37-45) put together the rally that changed the game in the sixth.

Dee Gordon doubled off Lance Lynn with one out. Giancarlo Stanton laced an 118-mph liner at second baseman Matt Carpenter, who knocked it down and then threw wide of first for an error.

Christian Yelich worked a full count and then jumped on a fastball that veered to the middle of the plate, ripping a three-run homer 406 feet to left-center. It was his eighth of the year, giving the Marlins the lead for good.

"A pitch that didn't get to where he wanted it," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny of Lynn's 20th homer allowed in 95 1/3 innings. "He tried to execute a sinker on the inside part that stayed up out over and Yelich made him pay."

Lynn departed one batter later after Marcell Ozuna's single, but reliever Tyler Lyons couldn't close the wound. Martin Prado doubled Ozuna to third with two outs and JT Riddle knocked both home with a two-run single off a hanging 0-2 slider for a three-run cushion.

Given a lead to protect, the front end of Miami's bullpen got the job done. Four relievers combined for the last 12 outs, with AJ Ramos cruising through a 1-2-3 ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances.

St. Louis (40-43) had one opportunity to do damage late. Back-to-back singles by pinch-hitter Jose Martinez and Carpenter put men at the corners in the seventh. But reliever Kyle Barraclough whiffed Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty to end the threat.

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Marlins starting pitcher Jose Urena (62) pitches during the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

A day after collecting 15 hits and scoring a season-high 14 runs in a rout of the Marlins, the Cardinals managed only seven hits. Pham and Piscotty, who combined for five hits, four runs and three RBIs on Monday night, went 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts in this one.

It all came back to Urena, who mixed a sinker that touched 97 mph with a slider and changeup that led to a spate of awkward-looking swings and fairly soft contact.

"Except for one pitch, he probably has a shutout," Riddle said. "But we were able to get a lead and the bullpen shut it down for us."

Lynn (6-6) gave up four runs (two earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and fanned five.

"I actually threw the ball pretty well," he said. "Just one bad pitch cost me three runs. That will happen, and he's a good hitter. He put a pretty good charge into it to the opposite field."

NOTES: Miami Tuesday designated LHP Jeff Locke for assignment and recalled RHP Drew Steckenrider from Triple-A New Orleans. Locke started Monday night's 14-6 loss to St. Louis, tying a franchise record by allowing 11 runs over 2 2/3 innings as his ERA rose to 8.16 to go with an 0-5 record. ... Cardinals 3B Jedd Gyorko (left leg cramp) didn't start Tuesday's game after leaving Monday night in the bottom of the fifth inning. Greg Garcia got the call at third base Tuesday, batting eighth. ... St. Louis 2B Kolten Wong (right triceps strain) will start a rehab assignment Wednesday at Double-A Springfield, while LHP Zach Duke (left elbow) will have his transferred to Class-A Palm Beach.

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