Nothing happened for seven innings. Then Miami took over. Max Meyer kept the Cardinals off the board through seven, and the Marlins' offense did the rest in the eighth and ninth, handing St. Louis a 4-0 defeat at Busch Stadium on Friday night.
Meyer was the story. The right-hander worked seven innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five on 89 pitches. He did not allow a run. With the win, Meyer moves to 9-0 on the season with a 2.60 ERA — the only undefeated pitcher with nine decisions in the majors.
The game's first run came in the eighth. Ruiz scored on a Pauley double to right, giving Miami a 1-0 lead it would not relinquish. Later in the inning, Pauley scored on a Stowers groundout — a play that survived a Cardinals challenge after the call on the field was overturned — to make it 2-0. In the ninth, Marsee singled to center, scoring both Mack and Ruiz to push the lead to 4-0. Marsee finished 1-for-5 with two RBI. Pauley went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Esteury Ruiz crossed the plate twice, going 2-for-3 with a walk.
Michael McGreevy pitched well for St. Louis, allowing no runs on five hits over six innings with four strikeouts. Most nights, that keeps a team in the game. But the Cardinals managed only three hits total and could not generate any offense against Meyer. George Soriano absorbed the loss, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in one inning of relief, falling to 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA.
Miami has won two straight and sits at 42-39. St. Louis has dropped two in a row, falling to 42-36.