Cardinals 6, Marlins 2
ST. LOUIS -- Call it a calculated risk that worked, as so many moves have for the St. Louis Cardinals this year.
Swinging at a 3-0 pitch with pitcher John Lackey on deck, eighth-place hitter Mark Reynolds lined a three-run homer to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday night, lifting St. Louis to a 6-2 win over the Miami Marlins at sold-out Busch Stadium.
It was the 10th homer of the year for the Cardinals' first baseman, who collected two hits for the second straight game. His blast knocked in catcher Yadier Molina and left fielder Stephen Piscotty, who started the inning off with singles.
Lackey (10-7) went 8 1/3 innings, scattering nine hits and allowing two runs with one walk and six strikeouts in his 12th straight quality start. He came within two outs of his -- and the team's second complete game of the year.
Miami left hander Brad Hand (2-3) absorbed the loss, getting torched for 11 hits and six runs over six innings. Hand walked none and fanned five.
First baseman Justin Bour clouted a solo homer in the sixth for the Marlins (46-70), but it wasn't enough to keep St. Louis (75-41) from improving to 34 games over .500 for the first time this year.
St. Louis center fielder Randal Grichuk gave his team a 1-0 lead with his 15th homer, a 444-foot blast to left in the first inning.
Miami evened the score in the second when center fielder Marcell Ozuna scored from third on a balk by Lackey. Ozuna started the inning with a single and then sped to third on a single by left fielder Cole Gillespie.
The Cardinals regained the lead with two runs in their half of the second. Second baseman Kolten Wong's infield out scored Piscotty. Lackey then helped his cause with a two-out, broken-bat single to right that scored Reynolds.
NOTES: Miami CF Christian Yelich (right knee contusion) went on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday. Yelich, who has not played since a win last Sunday in Atlanta, is batting .275 with six home runs and 29 RBIs in 92 games. ... St. Louis inducted its second Hall of Fame class Saturday in a ceremony before the game. This year's honorees are Ted Simmons, Curt Flood, Bob Forsch and George Kissell. ... The Marlins recalled CF Marcell Ozuna from Triple-A New Orleans to replace Yelich. Ozuna, who played and hit fifth, batted .249 with four home runs and 26 home runs for Miami before being optioned last month.