Miami heat: HRs carry Cards past Fish

MIAMI -- Marlins starter Mat Latos was cruising early on in the Cardinals' 6-1 win on Wednesday at Marlins Park. But with one swing from Kolten Wong in the third inning, it was a different ballgame.

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"We didn't have a hit on the board, and then next thing you know, we have a one-run lead with the ball that Wong jumped on," manager Mike Matheny said. "Then some other guys put together a couple of good at-bats."

Notching St. Louis' first hit of the night, Wong crushed a two-run homer deep into the right-field seats for a 2-1 lead. Four innings later, Jason Heyward belted a three-run homer to right off of Latos to open a 5-1 advantage.

Video: STL@MIA: Heyward extends lead with three-run homer

The blasts carried the Cardinals to a victory and marked the ninth homers of the season for both left-handed batters.

"Latos is one of those guys that -- the way he delivers the ball -- you have to see something up," Wong said. "If not, he's going to sinker you and make you hit ground balls until you can't do it anymore. ... Luckily I got a changeup up and was able to hit it out."

Wong's homer -- projected by Statcast™ at 406 feet with an exit velocity of 104 mph -- came with two outs and brought home Randal Grichuk, who had walked with one out.

Heyward's long ball -- which came on a 92 mph fastball up and over plate -- was set up by a Jhonny Peralta single and Mark Reynolds walk. Heyward has homered in three straight games -- an accomplishment he has now recorded three times in his career, although this is the first with St. Louis.

"We need it," Wong said. "With all the things that have been happening to us, we definitely need him to kind of step up, and that's what he's done. He's kind of been our catalyst right now -- driving in runs and being that guy to get things going for us."

Matheny added, "It's nice to keep him rolling."