Dex-tra special: Fowler's pinch-RBI leads Cards
MIAMI -- Battling back has become common for the Cardinals, who erased a four-run deficit in the eighth inning and rallied past the Marlins, 6-5, on Tuesday night at Marlins Park.William Fowler's pinch-hit RBI single off A.J. Ramos in the ninth inning scored Magneuris Sierra from second, capping the late-inning
MIAMI -- Battling back has become common for the Cardinals, who erased a four-run deficit in the eighth inning and rallied past the Marlins, 6-5, on Tuesday night at Marlins Park.
"A game like this is really big for any team," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "You play well, you're in it, and all of a sudden you get the air kicked out of you, and you find a way to get back on your feet. It shows me a lot about our club."
• Matheny: Sierra's speed 'creates opportunities'
Of Fowler's game-winning hit, Ramos said: "He hit a pitch that was almost in the dirt. It was low, down. He put a good swing on it. Thinking about that now, obviously, you think, 'Oh, maybe I should have thrown a fastball or something else.' No, if he doesn't hit that ball, you don't second-guess yourself. He put a good swing on it. He beat me on that pitch, that's all I can say about that."
• Marlins' bullpen needs to 'snap out of' funk
"It's hard to stay engaged," said Fowler, who hasn't been in the starting lineup since jamming his right shoulder diving for a fly ball on Thursday. "You see the boys out there grinding. So you want to get in there and help. So you get a little anxious. It's just an at-bat. You've got to go up there and give a quality AB."
The Marlins, meanwhile, claimed a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning on
Miami right-hander Dan Straily had his sixth straight start of not allowing more than four hits. Straily limited the Cardinals to three hits, one run and struck out five in seven innings. With the bat, Straily helped his cause by driving in Miami's first run with a perfectly executed suicide squeeze in the fifth inning.
"As the self-proclaimed best bunter on the pitching staff, I was anticipating it," Straily said of the squeeze call. "When you look back at it, 3-2, is probably the best time to do the suicide squeeze. I was just waiting for it, waiting for it, when he put it on, I stayed back and let instincts take over."
Cardinals right-hander
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Left-on-left results: The Cardinals played the percentages, and the results went in favor of the Marlins in their four-run sixth inning. With runners on second and third and one out, Wainwright intentionally walked
Clawing back with four: The Marlins handed a four-run lead over to
QUOTABLE
"There's really no need [to argue]. The way our bullpen is built, the way they shut down games, there's no reason. It's not up to me to say yes or no. You're doing what you're told. I have every belief in those guys." -- Straily, on handing the ball over to the bullpen in the eighth inning
YELICH, MATTINGLY EJECTED
Less than one inning into the game, the Marlins had center fielder
First Yelich was tossed, and Mattingly was thrown out after arguing with Fletcher at home plate, his second ejection in two days.
"It was interesting, no doubt," bench coach Tim Wallach said of taking over as manager the second straight night. "I'm prepared for that every night. It's something that is part of my duties. I'm ready to go. If something does happen like that, with Yelly, luckily we have Ich."
HECHAVARRIA EXITS AFTER THREE
With the Marlins already thin on middle-infield depth, shortstop
Hechavarria felt a tug in his left oblique. As a precaution, the team took him out. More will be known on Wednesday as to whether it is minor or more serious.
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW
The Cardinals lost a challenge in the ninth inning. They challenged the ruling that
WHAT'S NEXT
Cardinals: Right-hander
Marlins: Closing out the series with the Cardinals at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday is right-hander Tom Koehler (1-1, 5.40). The veteran is 1-3 with a 7.84 ERA in four career starts against St. Louis.
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Joe Frisaro has covered the Marlins for MLB.com since 2002. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro and listen to his podcast.
Glenn Sattell is a contributor to MLB.com based in Miami and covered the Cardinals on Tuesday.