Paul Goldschmidt drove home both runs as the host St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Goldschmidt hit an RBI single in the sixth inning and the game-winning homer off reliever Yimi Garcia (3-5) in the ninth as the Cardinals won consecutive games for the first time since May 28-29.
The Marlins are 0-5 with just six runs scored against the Cardinals this season. They have lost 10 of their last 11 road games.
Cardinals starting pitcher Kwang Hyun Kim allowed one run in six innings after coming off the 10-day injured list due to a sore back.
Kim walked five batters and allowed three hits -- but he struck out six batters and completed six innings for the first time in 10 starts this season.
Reliever Alex Reyes (4-2) pitched the ninth to earn the victory.
Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Rogers allowed one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out six batters and walked only one. Rogers has allowed three or fewer runs and struck out five or more batters in his first 14 starts.
Kim struggled with his command in the early going. He walked one batter in the first inning and two in the second without suffering consequences.
In the third inning, wildness caught up to Kim. He walked Starling Marte leading off. Jesus Aguilar hit a single, sending Marte to third base. Adam Duvall followed with an RBI single to put the Marlins up 1-0.
But Kim bore down to retire the next three Marlins to strand runners at second and third.
Jose Rondon hit a one-out pinch single in the sixth inning and raced to third on Rogers' errant pickoff throw. Goldschmidt poked his single through the right side to tie the game, 1-1.
Paul DeJong hit a leadoff single off Richard Bleier in the eighth inning. Lane Thomas dropped a bunt that the Marlins didn't make a play on, but pinch-hitter Adam Wainwright -- usually a starting pitcher -- bunted into a double play and Dylan Carlson struck out to kill the scoring chance.
--Field Level Media
Miami | St. Louis | |
Trevor Rogers | Player | Kwang-hyun Kim |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
6.0 | IP | 6.0 |
6 | Strikeouts | 6 |
3 | Hits | 3 |
1.50 | ERA | 1.50 |
Miami | St. Louis | |
Jesus Aguilar | Player | Paul Goldschmidt |
2 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 1 |
2 | TB | 5 |
.667 | Avg | .500 |