Fowler finding groove? Bat perks up vs. Bucs

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals have been waiting for Dexter Fowler to find his groove. That wait might be coming to a close.
Fowler singled, doubled, drove in two and scored twice in the Cardinals' 10-8 win against the Pirates on Thursday night. St. Louis scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to erase a three-run deficit, but by and large the Cardinals' offense is still seeking consistency more than a quarter of the way through the season. Fowler's resurgence would certainly help.
The performance against the Pirates comes on the heels of a three-hit game at Milwaukee on Wednesday, giving him five hits in his last eight at-bats. Fowler has raised his average from .157 to .180 in the past two days.
"Hitting the ball, getting it lofted," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Fowler. "He's taking nice passes. He had a couple big at-bats for us."
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Fowler singled home a pair and Yairo Muñoz -- long before his thrilling, three-run walk-off home run -- doubled home two more, including Fowler, as the Cardinals batted around in a four-run first. The four runs were the most scored by the Cardinals in an opening frame this season.

Greg Garcia's single in the fifth scored Fowler to break a 4-4 tie. Garcia, who had a pair of singles, has hit safely in eight of his 11 starts this season.