Jack Flaherty pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and Nolan Arenado slugged a go-ahead home run, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-0 win over the host Miami Marlins on Thursday night.
The Marlins fell short of completing a four-game sweep but Luis Arraez went 3-for-5 to raise his best-in-the-majors batting average to .388. He also has 12 three-hit games this season.
Flaherty (6-5) scattered nine hits, just two for extra bases. He walked two and struck out five, lowering his ERA from 4.60 to 4.27.
In two career games in Miami, Flaherty is 2-0 with 11 strikeouts in 13 scoreless innings.
Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save. Hicks blew a save chance on Wednesday due to his throwing error.
Marlins rookie Eury Perez (5-3) allowed just three hits, two walks and one run in six innings. He struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 2.36.
Arenado made an impressive play in the third inning. Jorge Soler had his bat sawed off by a Flaherty changeup, with the barrel flying over Arenado’s head. Arenado somehow kept his focus and started a 5-4-3 double play.
Miami loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Jesus Sanchez flied out to the warning track in center.
In the sixth, Arenado was at it again, launching a slider 405 feet for a homer to right-center. It was his 17th homer of the year.
The Cardinals made it 2-0 in the seventh as Nolan Gorman hit a ground-rule double and scored on Alec Burleson’s ground-ball single between shortstop Joey Wendle and second baseman Arraez.
Miami threatened again in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs on singles by Arraez and Soler and a walk to Bryan De La Cruz. Chris Stratton relieved Flaherty and got Sanchez on an inning-ending grounder to Arenado.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 3-0 in the eighth as Lars Nootbaar started the rally with a one-out double. With two outs, Gorman hit a pop-up down the left field line. Marlins third baseman Jean Segura, with his back to home plate, almost made a basket catch. But he dropped the ball, allowing Nootbaar to score.
–Field Level Media
