The Cardinals used a familiar formula that included strong starting pitching, solid defense and opportunistic offense to earn their fifth win in seven games, clinch a second consecutive series win and remain unbeaten in their home ballpark this season.
Two runs in the fourth inning — one unearned — and one in the fifth were enough when paired with five scoreless innings from left-hander Steven Matz as the Cardinals held off the Miami Marlins for a 3-1 win Saturday afternoon in front of an announced crowd of 37,328 at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals (5-4) moved their record above .500 for the first time since April 3, 2023, when they were 2-1.
“I think Matz did a fantastic job just getting us going, and our offense just finding a way,” left fielder Brendan Donovan said.
Rookie catcher Ivan Herrera (2 for 4, RBI, run scored) and Donovan (2 for 3, walk, run scored) had multi-hit games, including a pair of doubles for Donovan.
Herrera, who belted his first major-league home run in Thursday’s home opener, batted in the cleanup spot in the batting order for the second consecutive game.
Cardinals starting catcher Willson Contreras had been slated to serve as the designated hitter for Saturday’s game, but the Cardinals scratched him from the lineup for “precautionary” reasons due to lingering soreness in his left hand.
Contreras got hit by a pitch from San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove on Wednesday, and he sat out Thursday’s game with what he described as a bone bruise.
Donovan, the club’s leadoff hitter, returned to the lineup after he missed Thursday’s home opener with a bruised right arm. During Wednesday’s series finale in San Diego, he’d also gotten hit by a pitch on the arm near where he had season-ending elbow surgery last summer.
Donovan has been a table setter for the offense. He’s batting .345 with a .472 on-base percentage in eight games this season.
Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (1 for 3) had a hit, a walk, an RBI and a run scored. He both drove in a run and scored a run in a pivotal fourth inning.
The Cardinals made Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Rogers regret letting the first two batters reach base to start the fourth. Herrera singled to right field and Nolan Gorman drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to set things up for Walker.
Walker, who hadn’t had a hit in the previous two games, laced an RBI double inside the third base bag and off the wall in foul territory along the left field line. Herrera scored on the play, Gorman advanced to third, and Marlins left fielder Bryan De La Cruz fired the ball to second base in an effort to cut down Walker.
Second base umpire Mark Wegner initially called Walker out at second base, but replay review overturned the call. Walker successfully executed a swim move and avoided the tag.
“Jordan is getting closer and closer,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s still fouling some balls off that he wishes he could get back. I think we’re getting closer to those not being foul balls and going a long ways. I like where his at-bats are headed. That slide was nice, being able to switch arms and being able to get in there was important. But I think we’re getting closer and closer with Jordan.”
With runners on second and third, Alec Burleson hit a soft bouncer to Marlins third baseman Emmanuel Rivera, but Gorman got thrown out at the plate. After Masyn Winn’s grounder to shortstop allowed the Marlins to take the force out at second base, the Marlins pulled within an out of limiting the Cardinals to just one run in the inning.
Instead, Rogers shot himself in the foot with an errant pickoff attempt of Winn at first base. Rogers’ throw veered into foul territory and allowed Walker to score the second run of the inning.
That unearned run was the third unearned run scored by the Cardinals in two games against the Marlins.
“I think (it shows) the relentlessness of this offense,” Donovan said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. If we get an extra chance, I think we’re capitalizing on it. I mean everybody wants the big at-bat, right. I think everyone is confident and prepared and we’re just going out there and trying to get the job done. I think it’s contagious.”
The Cardinals added their third run in the fifth inning after Donovan dropped a leadoff double into left field for the second time in the game.
Donovan moved to third base on a grounder to first base by Paul Goldschmidt, then, after Nolan Arenado struck out for the second out of the inning, Herrera beat out an infield single on a ball up the middle that Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez made a diving stop to keep from getting to the outfield grass.
Meanwhile, Matz (1-0) followed up a solid start on the West Coast against the Los Angeles Dodgers (two runs in 5 1/3 inning) with five scoreless innings against the Marlins.
Matz allowed just four hits and one walk Saturday. He struck out three and threw 85 pitches. All three of his strikeouts came with batters swinging on the third strike. He held left-handed hitters hitless (0 for 5).
Matz has had a lot of success early this season using a combination of his two-seam fastball and his changeup.
“I think I definitely have a lot of confidence in that (the changeup), and that makes it better — when you’re throwing it with conviction,” Matz said. “Then it just helps my fastball play up as well. I think those two pitches are working really well for me.”
Dating back to last season Matz has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts, and he has won his last five decisions. His string of strong starts last season came on the heels of a demotion to the bullpen in May.
Matz said he and pitching coach Dusty Blake have focused a lot of their attention in spring training and early this season on getting Matz to establish and maintain a certain mindset in his outings.
“I think that was something that happened last year when I was coming out of the bullpen and going back into the rotation,” Matz said. “When I say mindset, it just really carries into the conviction of each pitch. Just believing in that, trusting it.”
Marmol said Contreras will test out his hand and how it feels to swing before Sunday’s game. The team added catcher Pedro Pages to the roster Thursday when Matt Carpenter (oblique) went on the injured list. So they’re covered if Herrera isn’t able to catch or has to leave the game for any reason.
Above .500 for the first time in a year, the Cardinals seek a sweep as they wrap up a home series Sunday against the Marlins. First pitch is 1:15 p.m.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker sprints up the first baseline after hitting an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Saturday, April 6, 2024.