Molina Homers, Wainwright Wins As Cards Beat Dodgers 5-4
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright pitched into the ninth inning and Yadier Molina homered, helping the St. Louis Cardinals top the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Wednesday night.
Led by Wainwright and Molina once again, St. Louis stopped a four-game slide. Tyler O'Neill also connected for the Cardinals, and Edmundo Sosa had an RBI single.
The Dodgers dropped to two games back of NL West-leading San Francisco, which rallied for a 7-4 victory at Colorado.
Wainwright (15-7) sailed into the ninth, but he was replaced by Giovanny Gallegos after Corey Seager's RBI single got the Dodgers within two. Will Smith then hit a sacrifice fly before Gallegos struck out Chris Taylor for his fifth save.
Wainwright (15-7) allowed seven hits, struck out four and walked none. The 40-year-old right-hander improved to 8-1 in his last nine starts.
Max Muncy hit his 31st homer for Los Angeles, which had won three of four. Mitch White (1-3) permitted four runs and five hits in five innings.
Seager doubled home Muncy to put the Dodgers in front in the first, but the Cardinals responded with three runs in the bottom half.
Tommy Edman singled and scored on Nolan Arenado's groundout. The 39-year-old Molina then hit a two-run drive to left for his 10th homer.
St. Louis added another run in the fourth. Molina singled, advanced to second on Taylor's error in left and moved to third on a wild pitch. He then came home on Sosa's hit, giving the Cardinals a 4-1 lead.
Muncy connected in the fifth. Wainwright had gone a major league-leading 50 consecutive innings without allowing a home run.