Marlins Dominate Cardinals with 5-0 Victory

Graham Pauley launched his inaugural home run for the Marlins, while Sandy Alcantara delivered a masterclass on the mound, pitching five scoreless innings as Miami triumphed over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Alcantara (6-9) showcased his skills, allowing just three hits and three walks, striking out four batters and hitting two others. The bullpen, featuring Calvin Faucher, Ronny Henriquez, and Valente Bellozo, continued the momentum, combining for four scoreless innings and racking up six strikeouts.

In a notable debut, Troy Johnston made his mark by singling off Cardinals starter Sonny Gray (10-5) in his first major league at-bat. Pauley's two-run homer quickly put Miami ahead 2-0. Johnston, at 28 years old, entered the game with an extensive minor league background, having played 636 games and amassed 2,384 at-bats.

As the game progressed, Kyle Stowers broke a streak of 13 consecutive hitless at-bats with a two-out double, paving the way for Otto Lopez's RBI single that extended the Marlins' lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning.

The sixth inning saw Dane Myers contribute with a single, followed by Eric Wagaman's RBI double. Xavier Edwards then added a run-scoring triple, pushing the score to 5-0.

Cardinals reliever John King faced challenges in the ninth, retiring Edwards and Jesús Sánchez before exiting due to an apparent injury.

Victor Scott II stole two bases during the game, tying him with Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs for second place in the National League with 29 steals this season. Oneil Cruz from Pittsburgh leads all of Major League Baseball with 34 stolen bases.

In a critical moment during the fifth inning, Pedro Pagés singled and Scott walked before Iván Herrera was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. However, Alcantara struck out Alec Burleson to escape the jam and maintain a 3-0 advantage.

The Cardinals struggled offensively, managing only four hits and striking out ten times, marking their tenth shutout of the season.

Looking ahead, Cal Quantrill (3-8, 4.95 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Marlins on Wednesday against Miles Mikolas (6-7, 4.94).