The Sports Xchange
Jul 27, 2017
ST. LOUIS -- Carlos Martinez snapped a six-start scoreless streak Wednesday night -- with help from his teammates and his bat.
Martinez's RBI single keyed a five-run fourth inning that put the St. Louis Cardinals ahead to stay in a 10-5 win over the Colorado Rockies at Busch Stadium, giving them a sweep of a three-game series.
In upping his record to 7-8, Martinez survived an occasionally rocky outing. He allowed seven hits and five runs in six innings, walking two and striking out eight.
But St. Louis (50-51) exploded for 15 hits off four Colorado pitchers, who also offered plenty of help. The Rockies (58-45) issued eight walks and tossed three wild pitches, including one that scored Kolten Wong in the seventh with the game's final run.
Randal Grichuk went 4-for-5 for the Cardinals, while Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina each contributed two-run doubles. Molina's liner down the left-field line in the sixth pushed St. Louis' lead to 9-5.
Jeff Hoffman (6-3) absorbed the loss for Colorado, permitting seven hits and seven runs, six earned, in four innings. Hoffman walked three and fanned three.
Colorado initiated scoring in the first as Nolan Arenado lined a hanging 0-2 slider into the seats in left field for a two-run shot, his 23rd of the year. But Paul DeJong wiped out that lead with his own two-run homer to right-center in the St. Louis first, his 14th.
Gerardo Parra gave the Rockies a 4-2 advantage in the third by lacing a two-out, two-run double to the wall in left-center. However, the Cardinals erased it with a five-run fourth inning.
Wong's bases-loaded fielder's choice bouncer scored the first run. Pitcher Carlos Martinez tied it by grounding a single into right, and Carpenter laced a two-run double to right-center that made it 6-4.
After taking third when no one covered the bag following an errant throw into the infield by center fielder Charlie Blackmon, Carpenter dashed home on Tommy Pham's sacrifice fly to finish the uprising.
Arenado brought Colorado within 7-5 in the fifth with a two-out RBI single to right.
NOTES: St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said Wednesday that RHP Luke Weaver would be called up from Triple-A Memphis to start Thursday night against Arizona. The Cardinals also recalled RHP Mike Mayers from Memphis to fill the roster spot of RHP Adam Wainwright (back), who went on the 10-day DL Tuesday. ... Colorado activated RHP Tyler Chatwood (right calf strain) from the 10-day DL Wednesday and placed RHP Greg Holland on the paternity list. Holland leads MLB with 31 saves. ... St. Louis RF Stephen Piscotty (right groin strain) will start a rehab assignment Thursday at Class A Peoria. He's been on the 10-day DL since July 15.