ST. LOUIS (AP) – Carlos Martinez pitched a two-hit ball into the eighth inning for his first win as a starter since 2018, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 on Tuesday night. Paul Goldschmidt and Tommy Edman hit two-run doubles. Nolan Arenado doubled twice and made a spectacular catch as St. Louis won for the fourth time in five games. Martinez (1-4) allowed two runs, earned in 7 1/3 innings. He had been 0-9 in his last 12 starts – his previous win came on Sept. 1, 2019, the year he spent as the Cardinals‘ closer.
Martinez struck out four and walked two. Alex Reyes picked up his sixth save.
- “It was vintage Carlos tonight, which is awesome,” Arenado said.
- Martinez set down 13 successive batters before issuing a one-out walk to pinch-hitter Matt Joyce in the eighth.
- Martinez knew it had been long since he recorded a win as a starting pitcher.
- “Just keep going, keep going,” Martinez said. “I was feeling rusty.”
- Using his nickname, the two-time All-Star added: “The ‘Tsunami’ is coming again.”
Added manager Mike Shildt: “It’s coming ashore.”
Arenado turned in the defensive play of the night with a running catch of a foul pop off the bat of Bryce Harper to end the third. Overshifted, Arenado went a long way to make the grab right in front of the stands at a full sprint.
“I told him he had plenty of room,” catcher Andrew Knizner said. “I don’t think he heard me.”
Zach Eflin (1-1) gave up five runs on nine hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter. Eflin has gone at last six innings in all five starts.
“I felt like I did a good job of battling the whole night,” Eflin said. ”I gave up a couple of cheap hits. But at the end of the day, I felt like I had pretty good stuff.”
Edman’s double put St. Louis ahead 3-1 in the second. Goldschmidt pushed the lead to 5-2 with a double in the seventh. The Cardinals played without catcher Yadier Molina, who was placed on the 10-day injured list before the game with a sore tendon in his right foot.
Knizner started as a catcher and had two singles.
“He’s here for a reason,” Shildt said. “He’s shown he’s capable.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: OF Andrew McCutchen was held out of the lineup for the second daw. HBrad Miller replaced him. McCutchen is hitting .154.
Cardinals: Molina suffered the injury on Friday against Cincinnati. He sat out Saturday and Sunday but returned to the lineup and caught all nine innings of a 2-1 loss on Monday.
UP NEXT
St. Louis RHP Johan Oviedo (0-0) will start on Wednesday n the third game of the four-game set. He will make his first start of the season and his second appearance. The Phillies did not announce a starter before Tuesday night’s game.
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