Marlins Edge Cardinals, 8-7
ST. LOUIS (AP) - What a difference one day can make in the life of a Major League Baseball player. Tuesday night, Marlins slugger Mike Stanton struck out with the tying runs on base for the final out against the St. Louis Cardinals.
But Wednesday night, Stanton got the better of the Cardinals' relief pitchers when he hit a tiebreaking two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to propel the Marlins to an 8-7 victor over the Cardinals.
Stanton hammered a 1-0 fastball from rookie Eduardo Sanchez, who had baffled Stanton with breaking balls the previous game.
"I figured he was going to try to work off his slider, like last night," Stanton said. "People can say he should have gone with what he did last night to get me out."
Gaby Sanchez had two hits and a bases-loaded walk for the Marlins, who survived blowing a four-run cushion and secured at least a split in all five of their road sets. Sanchez is 8 for 14 during this trip to St. Louis, with Florida sending ace Josh Johnson to the mound against Jake Westbrook for Thursday's finale of the four-game series.
Leo Nunez gave up Jon Jay's second pinch-hit homer of the season in the ninth, but got Matt Holliday to ground into a game-ending double play for his 11th save in 11 chances. Holliday had two hits and an RBI and leads the NL with a .413 average.
Mike Dunn (2-1) got six straight outs in the seventh and eighth for the Marlins, whose 19-10 start is the best in franchise history. They're 16-0 when they hit a home run.
The Cardinals committed a season-worst four errors -- all in the first four innings -- with two each by Carpenter and catcher Yadier Molina. Both had a miscue in the Marlins' two-run first, leading to an unearned run, and two runs scored on Molina's wild throw to first on a home-to-first double-play attempt on Stanton's grounder during Florida's four-run third.
Marlins starter Javier Vazquez couldn't hold a 6-2 third-inning lead, departing after 5 2-3 innings. He's allowed at least one first-inning run in all six starts.
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