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Marlins limited to 3 hits in shutout loss to Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Lately, the Miami Marlins' bullpen has been busy on days when Tom Koehler pitches.
The right-hander allowed four runs over four innings in a 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night that ended Miami's four-game winning streak. He's lasted four innings or fewer in three of his last four outings, and five innings in the other one.
Location was the likely culprit against the Cardinals.
"You throw the ball in the middle of the plate with these kind of guys, you're going to get hurt," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Koehler (6-8) thought pitch sequence could have been a contributing factor, but noted he tried to throw an 0-2 fastball to Stephen Piscotty inside and it sailed over the plate and got stroked for a two-run double in St. Louis' four-run third.
He's 1-3 with a 7.84 ERA against the Cardinals.
"It's just little things here and there and I've just got to keep working at it," Koehler said. "It's a long season and it's been a little bit of a rough patch, but move on, keep throwing."
Adam Wainwright tossed a three-hit shutout to keep rolling in July for St. Louis. Jhonny Peralta homered and Piscotty had two hits, a walk and two RBIs.
Wainwright (9-5) struck out five with two walks and didn't allow a hit until Adeiny Hechavarria doubled to open the sixth inning. The team's longtime ace received a standing ovation in the eighth before striking out for the fourth straight time, then retired the 2-3-4 hitters in order to end it.
"I think we have to give their guy obviously a lot of credit that we weren't able to do anything with him," Mattingly said. "It's not like we had second and third two or three times -- we were struggling to get guys on base."
The 6-foot-7 right-hander is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA in three starts this month. The shutout was the 10th of his career and first since Sept. 17, 2014, against the Brewers.
Matt Adams hit an RBI single in the third, following Piscotty's two-run double and an RBI double by Randal Grichuk.
After blowing two late leads in the series opener Friday night, St. Louis improved to 20-27 at home.
The Cardinals were flawless on defense a night after committing at least three costly miscues, among them their major league-leading 69th error. Matt Holliday, shaky at first base in the opener, didn't play.
The highlight for Miami was a pair of diving catches by right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, the first robbing Adams of a two-run double to end the first inning and the second denying Aledmys Diaz a hit in the fourth.
Hechavarria made a strong stop at shortstop, snaring Yadier Molina's liner in the third.
"It could have very easily have been seven or eight (runs)," Mattingly said. "So we kind of stayed in the game, we just weren't able to mount any charge at all."
Miami (48-42) is a game ahead of St. Louis (47-43), with both chasing the second NL wild-card spot. The Marlins dropped back from a season-best seven games above .500.
Ichiro Suzuki grounded out while pinch hitting in the eighth and remained at 2,991 major league hits.
PREGAME HOOPLA
The Cardinals' 2006 World Series title team was extremely well-represented in a pregame ceremony, with nearly everyone honored.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: 1B Justin Bour (ankle) is likely to need a rehab assignment before returning. He was eligible to come off the DL on Saturday.
Cardinals: RHP Jordan Walden (shoulder) has been throwing and will be examined by team doctors early next week. He hasn't pitched since April 2015.
UP NEXT
Marlins: LHP Adam Conley (6-5, 3.62 ERA) faces the Cardinals for the first time. Left-handed hitters have more success against him, .289 to .223 for right-handed hitters.
Cardinals: Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.36) has been on the upswing, going 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last six starts.
