Cardinals leapfrog into wildcard spot

Miami’s Ichiro Suzuki went 0 for 4 in Friday’s 11-6 loss to St. Louis in Miami and is still two hits shy of 3,000 career hits in Major League Baseball. He lined into a double play, struck out and left two bases runners stranded.
Miami’s Ichiro Suzuki went 0 for 4 in Friday’s 11-6 loss to St. Louis in Miami and is still two hits shy of 3,000 career hits in Major League Baseball. He lined into a double play, struck out and left two bases runners stranded.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CARDINALS 11, MARLINS 6

MIAMI -- Tommy Pham homered and drove in three runs, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Miami Marlins 11-6 on Friday night.

Kolten Wong had three hits and drove in two runs and Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a two-run home run for St. Louis. The Cardinals have won four of five and lead the Marlins by one game in the NL wild-card standings.

Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki went 0 for 4 to remain at 2,998 career hits.

Martin Prado homered and drove in three runs, and Marcell Ozuna also homered for the Marlins.

Mike Leake (8-8) won despite giving up 6 runs and 7 hits in 5 innings.

Jose Urena (1-3) allowed eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in what is expected to be his final start in the Marlins' rotation after Miami acquired starters Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea from San Diego earlier in the day.

Hazelbaker homered off Urena in the second. It was their first encounter since the two were involved in a bench-clearing brawl in a minor league game on June 27. In that game, Urena's pitch went sailing near Hazelbaker's head, prompting the two to square off and punches were thrown.

St. Louis scored three in the second and six more in the fifth for a 9-1 lead. Prado's three-run home run highlighted a five-run rally by the Marlins in the bottom of the fifth.

Pham's two-run home run extended the Cardinals' lead to 11-6.

Suzuki threw out Wong at home in the fourth inning after making a running catch near the left-field line and throwing a 240-foot strike at the plate for the double play.

The Marlins are missing Justin Bour at first base. Chris Johnson, Miguel Rojas and DonKelly have been filling in for Bour, who is recovering from a right ankle sprain on July 2.

Bour is scheduled to begin a rehab stint with Class AAA New Orleans with hopes of joining the big league club on Monday in Chicago in a series against the Cubs.

Up next, RHP Jaime Garcia (7-7, 3.97) will take the mound for the Cardinals in today's game against the Marlins. He is coming off two back-to-back productive starts, allowing three earned runs over 10 2/3 innings.

For the Marlins, RHP Colin Rea (5-5, 4.98) will make his Miami debut today. Rea is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals.

Up next, RHP Jaime Garcia (7-7, 3.97) will take the mound for the Cardinals in today’s game against the Marlins. He is coming off two back-to-back productive starts, allowing three earned runs over 10 2/3 innings.

For the Marlins, RHP Colin Rea (5-5, 4.98) will make his Miami debut today. Rea is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals

Sports on 07/30/2016

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