MIAMI — When Tommy Pham was hit by a pitch in the left hand in his first at-bat, it did not look like he would be able to stay in the game.
MIAMI — When Tommy Pham was hit by a pitch in the left hand in his first at-bat, it did not look like he would be able to stay in the game.
Not only did Pham finish, but he had an RBI single and a two-run homer to help lead the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 11-6 on Friday night.
“It didn’t affect him hitting the ball to dead center in the biggest park in the country,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “That was a pretty nice sign that things should be OK, but we’ll wait to see what the medical team says.”
Pham was one of a number of contributors for the Cardinals. Hilo’s Kolten Wong had three hits and drove in two runs and Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a two-run homer.
The Cardinals have won four of five and lead the Marlins by one game in the NL wild-card standings.
Miami outfielder Ichiro Suzuki went 0 for 4 to remain at 2,998 career hits.
Suzuki threw out Wong at home in the fourth inning after making a running catch near the left-field line and throwing a 240-foot strike at the plate for the double play.
“We all know Ichiro is definitely someone who can hit, but you know he has a pretty good arm, too, and I knew it was going to be tough,” Wong said.
Keeping track of Kolten
Friday
3 for 5, double, triple, run scored, two RBIs at 2B in Cardinals’ 11-6 win at Marlins
Next up
Saturday, third in four-game series at Miami
Season (81 games)
Avg: .241 (51 for 212)
OBP: .329
OPS: .650
HRs: 1
RBIs: 13
SBs: 4
Errors: 6
• Tracking Kamehameha grad Kolten Wong