Miami Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Box Score on Jul 05, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 5, 2017

ST. LOUIS -- Giancarlo Stanton homered twice and drove in four runs Wednesday night as the Miami Marlins jumped out to a seven-run lead, then held off the St. Louis Cardinals 9-6 at Busch Stadium.

Marcell Ozuna also homered and knocked in two runs for Miami (38-45), while Justin Bour added insurance with a ninth-inning homer.

Marlins right-hander Edinson Volquez made it through only four innings despite the benefit of an early 7-0 lead. Volquez gave up six hits and four runs, walking two and fanning one.

St. Louis' Mike Leake (6-7) lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his shortest start of the year. Leake permitted nine hits and eight runs, only three of them earned, with a walk and two strikeouts.

Tommy Pham drove in three runs and went 2-for-5 for the Cardinals (40-44), pulling them within 8-6 in the sixth with a two-run double down the right field line. However, St. Louis managed just one more baserunner over the game's remainder.

Dustin McGowan (5-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings of one-run relief to get the win. Closer AJ Ramos, Miami's seventh pitcher, got the last three outs for his 15th save in 16 chances.

Stanton opened the scoring on the game's fifth pitch, rifling a solo shot to left-center for his 22nd homer of the year.

An inning later, Stanton capped a five-run rally fueled by two St. Louis errors with a second homer. He turned a 3-0 swing into a three-run blast to left-center, giving the Marlins a 6-0 advantage.

Ozuna unloaded his 23rd homer to start the third for Miami, but the Cardinals' offense showed signs of life in their half of the third with three runs. Pham highlighted it with an RBI double.

Each team tacked on a run in the fourth. Ozuna ripped a double to left that chased Leake, while Cardinals pinch hitter Jedd Gyorko lofted a sacrifice fly to center that cut their deficit to 8-4.

NOTES: St. Louis 3B Jedd Gyorko (left groin strain) missed his second straight start Wednesday night, though he drove in a run off the bench. Gyorko could return for the series finale with Miami on Thursday. ... Cardinals CF Dexter Fowler (right heel spur) went through pregame drills while wearing his cleats, an important step as he tries to return to the lineup. Fowler hadn't been able to work out in his cleats prior to Wednesday, so intense was the pain when he tried to wear them. ... Miami still hasn't decided on a starting pitcher for Saturday night's game in San Francisco. The spot is vacant after LHP Jeff Locke was designated for assignment Tuesday.