ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals are pitching so well all they need right now to win is one run. ADVERTISING ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals are pitching so well all they need right now
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals are pitching so well all they need right now to win is one run.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals are pitching so well all they need right now to win is one run.
Adam Wainwright became the NL’s first nine-game winner, and the Cardinals beat Tampa Bay 1-0 on Tuesday night, the Rays’ third straight shutout loss.
The Cardinals have three consecutive shutouts for the first time since April 2013. St. Louis, with 13 shutouts this season, was coming off 5-0 victories over Toronto on Saturday and Sunday.
“Our starting pitching has been extremely good these last few, to say the least,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.
It is the Cardinals’ first stretch of three consecutive road shutouts since Sept. 29, 1962-April 10, 1963 when St. Louis had four in a row.
“Pretty amazing,” said St. Louis slugger Matt Holliday, who homered.
Tampa Bay has been shut out an AL-leading 10 times this season. The Rays, who have lost 14 of 15, have not scored a run in a club-record 28 innings.
“It’s kind of weird to watch because it just doesn’t stay that negative for that long normally,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “It just doesn’t but it has. This is truly one of those anomaly moments where we’ve got to stick together as a group.”
Wainwright (9-3) scattered seven hits over seven innings. Trevor Rosenthal got the final four outs, including a base-loaded pop fly by Matt Joyce in the eighth, for his 17th save.
Holliday put the Cardinals up 1-0 with his fourth homer this season, a long drive to left center with two outs in the sixth off tough-luck loser Jake Odorizzi (2-7).
Holliday and Kolten Wong both returned to the Cardinals lineup. Holliday was scratched Sunday due to a sore lower back, while Wong sat out three games with left shoulder soreness.
Holliday said his back is still a little stiff.
“Loosened up enough so I could get some good swings,” he said.
Odorizzi, a Cardinals’ fan who grew up about 30 miles from Busch Stadium, had a strong performance in his first game against St. Louis. The right-hander gave up one run and three hits in a career-high 7 1-3 innings.
“Today I felt I was really executing my pitches and nothing they could do was going to beat me,” Odorizzi said. “One mistake by me and I got beat. It was the best outing I’ve ever had in the big leagues.”
Odorizzi had allowed one baserunner, a fourth-inning walk to Holliday, before giving up consecutive two-out singles in the fifth to Jhonny Peralta and John Jay. The inning ended on a fly ball by Peter Bourjos.
The Rays threatened in both the first and fourth innings. Ben Zobrist hit a fly ball with two on to end the first. Logan Forsythe lined out to second with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth.
“It’s a tough lineup, it really is,” Wainwright said. “They’re going through a funk, I know. As soon as we leave town, they’re going to break out. I’ve got a feeling.”
Sam Freeman inherited two runners and then got two key outs in the eighth before Rosenthal replaced him.
D-BACKS 4, ASTROS 1
PHOENIX — Bronson Arroyo pitched seven strong innings and Aaron Hill had two late RBIs for Arizona.
Arroyo (6-4) matched Houston starter Brad Peacock through seven innings before the Diamondbacks scored two runs off Josh Fields (1-4) in the seventh.
Hill hit a sacrifice fly in the inning and Cody Ross knocked him in with a double to right-center after an error by Astros shortstop Jonathan Villar. Hill added a run-scoring double in the eighth inning to put Arizona up 4-1.
Paul Goldschmidt also homered and Addison Reed worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save. Arizona has won six of eight.
Jon Singleton had three hits for the Astros.
METS 6, BREWERS 2
NEW YORK — Taylor Teagarden hit a grand slam in his Mets debut, Daniel Murphy had a two-run shot and New York beat Milwaukee to snap a six-game skid.
Called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday to replace demoted catcher Travis d’Arnaud, Teagarden connected for his second career slam after Marco Estrada walked the bases loaded in the sixth.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-0) pitched six effective innings and Murphy homered off Estrada (5-3) in the third.
Before the game, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said manager Terry Collins’ job is secure after the team returned from a 4-7 road trip a season-worst seven games under .500.
CUBS 7, PIRATES 3
CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs to lead Chicago over Pittsburgh, spoiling Gregory Polanco’s much-anticipated debut.
Rizzo hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Francisco Liriano, who left in the fourth with discomfort on his right side. Rizzo also doubled and scored in the fourth and hit an RBI double in the seventh, a drive to deep right-center that struck Polanco’s left wrist as the touted rookie tried to make the catch.
Polanco went 1 for 5 after getting called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, where the right fielder was leading the International League with a .347 batting average and 49 RBIs in 62 games.
Pinch-hitter Luis Valbuena’s two-run double off Casey Sadler (0-1) broke a 3-all tie in the sixth.
Travis Wood (6-5) allowed three runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings.
Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer for the Pirates.
PHILLIES 5, PADRES 2
PHILADELPHIA — A.J. Burnett threw 7 1-3 sharp innings and Marlon Byrd hit a three-run homer in Philadelphia’s victory over San Diego.
Back from a 1-5 trip that left them tied with the Cubs for the worst record in the NL, the Phillies opened a six-game homestand with their 13th win at Citizens Bank Park.
Burnett (4-5) allowed two runs and three hits to earn his first win since May 20. Jonathan Papelbon left the bases loaded in a scoreless ninth to record his 300th career save, becoming the 26th pitcher to reach that mark. He has 14 consecutive saves after blowing his first try.
Will Venable hit a solo homer for the Padres. Ian Kennedy (5-7) gave up five runs and seven hits in seven innings.
TWINS 4, BLUE JAYS 0
TORONTO — Brian Dozier hit a two-run home run, Kevin Correia won for the first time in four starts and Minnesota beat Toronto.
Newly signed slugger Kendrys Morales had two hits and scored a run as the Twins avoided falling a season-worst five games below .500.
The Blue Jays were shut out for the third time in four games.
Correia (3-7) allowed six hits, walked one and struck out one in six innings. It was his first scoreless outing since Aug. 27, 2013, with seven innings against Kansas City.
J.A. Happ (5-3) lost for the second time in three starts for Toronto, allowing four runs, three earned, and six hits in 3 2-3 innings. He walked three and struck out three.
MARLINS 8, RANGERS 5
ARLINGTON, Texas — Christian Yelich set career highs with four hits and four RBIs for the Miami Marlins, who beat the Texas Rangers 8-5 for their record-tying 13th consecutive interleague victory.
Yelich’s single in the seventh inning sent home two unearned runs and put the Marlins ahead to stay.
The 13-game interleague winning streak matched the major league record shared by the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, who both reached that mark in 2004. The Marlins wrap up their quick two-game set in Texas on Wednesday.
