Fowler caps Cards' comeback vs. Marlins

Send a link to a friend  Share

[May 10, 2017]  MIAMI -- St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Dexter Fowler can't throw quite yet.

But he can sure hit.

Fowler, who has missed five straight starts due to a lat injury, slashed a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth as St. Louis rallied to a 6-5 win over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night at Marlins Park.

It was his first pinch hit of any kind since 2014.

"It's hard to stay engaged (as a pinch hitter)," said Fowler, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract in December. "You see the boys out there grinding. You want to get in there and help, and you get a little anxious. It was an important at-bat, so you've got to lock in."

Fowler did just that, helping the Cardinals complete a comeback that saw them rally from a 5-1 deficit. St. Louis scored four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth.

Fowler's hit plated rookie Magneuris Sierra from second. Sierra started the rally with a comebacker that Marlins closer A.J. Ramos (1-2) mishandled and then threw wildly to first on a play that was scored as a single and an error on the throw.

"My mindset was to get on base," said Sierra, who was called up from A-ball on Sunday and has played just three big-league games. "If I get on base, my team can get a hit, and I can score."

As for his quick rise to the majors, Sierra said he is shocked and grateful.

"I never expected all this," he said in Spanish. "I have worked on my speed since I was very young, and that is what has helped me get to the big leagues."

The Cardinals (18-14), who have won eight straight road games, are 15-5 in their past 20 games overall.

Besides the loss, the Marlins (13-19) were saddled with the ejection of manager Don Mattingly, who was tossed for the second straight game. Mattingly was ejected in the first inning along with star center field Christian Yelich, who was arguing a called third strike on an outside pitch.

"You always have to protect your player," Mattingly said. "You hate to lose (Yelich) so early in the game."

The Marlins, already down a pair of starting-caliber infielders in Martin Prado and Miguel Rojas, who were both placed on the disabled list this week, also lost shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria due to an oblique injury. He was replaced in the fourth inning by rookie J.T. Riddle.

Neither starting pitcher earned a decision. St. Louis' Adam Wainwright allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings. The win went to reliever Trevor Rosenthal (1-1).

Miami's Dan Straily allowed just three hits, one walk and one run in seven effective innings, but he was poorly supported by reliever Kyle Barraclough. The reliever allowed four runs in one-third of an inning.

The Cards opened the scoring in the fifth. Yadier Molina hit a leadoff double and scored on a one-out two-bagger by Tommy Pham.

[to top of second column]

Cardinals right fielder Randal Grichuk (15) reacts to being hit by a pitch in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Miami tied the score in the bottom of the fifth. Derek Dietrich led off with a hit-by-pitch, advanced to second when Justin Bour drew a walk, went to third on a Riddle groundout and scored when Straily put down a perfect suicide-squeeze bunt on a 3-2 count.

"I'm the self-proclaimed best bunter on the pitching staff," said Straily, who added he was not surprised when he got the call for the squeeze play.

The Marlins took a 5-1 lead in the sixth after J.T. Realmuto and Ichiro Suzuki opened the inning with singles. Both runners scored when Dietrich pulled a two-run double to the right-field corner. Miami capped the inning an RBI single by Bour and a sacrifice fly from Riddle.

St. Louis tied the score 5-5 by piecing together four hits and two walks in the eighth. Pham opened the rally with a leadoff double, and rookie Sierra followed with a single. The Cards cashed in with a pinch-hit RBI single by Matt Adams, a sacrifice fly from Randal Grichuk and a two-run single by Jedd Gyorko.

"I didn't get the job done," Barraclough said. "Some of it was bad breaks."

NOTES: Cards 2B Kolten Wong had his career-best 13-game hit streak snapped. ... Cards pinch hitter Matt Adams, who had an RBI single in the eighth, is batting .341 against right-handers this season. ... Tennis legend Martina Navratilova threw out the first pitch. Marlins LHP Adam Conley (2-3, 7.53 ERA) was demoted to Triple-A New Orleans. He was 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA in three home starts but 0-3 with a 14.60 ERA in three road starts. ... Miami recalled C Tomas Telis and INF/OF Tyler Moore from Triple-A New Orleans. ... Marlins RHP Edison Volquez (blister, right thumb) plans to return Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. Volquez, ... Marlins LHP Wei-Yin Chen, on the disabled list due to elbow discomfort, will return Tuesday. ... LHP Jeff Locke, who has yet to pitch for Miami due to a shoulder injury, tossed four scoreless innings on Monday night in his first minor league rehab stint. ... The three-game series ends on Wednesday with St. Louis starting RHP Lance Lynn (4-1, 2.04 ERA) and Miami throwing RHP Tom Koehler (1-1, 5.40).

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Back to top