• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Cardinals hold off Rockies

Sep 14, 2014 - 6:54 AM St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Shelby Miller fired six innings of one-run ball and the St. Louis Cardinals held off the Colorado Rockies, 5-4, in the middle test of a three-game set.

Miller (10-9) scattered five hits and struck out five for the Cardinals, who have won the first two games of this series on the heels of a three-game slide. Matt Carpenter smacked a two-run homer and Matt Holliday added a solo shot in the triumph.

"No walks against a team that's patient, that's got power and puts together good at-bats. I'm happy about that," Miller said.

The Cardinals held a 5-1 lead entering the ninth, but the Rockies pushed across three runs in the frame and had the tying-run on second in pinch-runner Charlie Culberson. Pat Neshek, though, got Rafael Ynoa to fly out to center to end the game and notch his sixth save of the season.

"We put together some good at-bats, some pinch-hit at-bats, a couple RBI hits in the ninth," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.

St. Louis moved 3 1/2 games ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL Central after the Pirates lost to the Cubs on Saturday.

Franklin Morales (6-8) surrendered four runs on five hits and two walks over four frames for Colorado, which has dropped five straight games.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0 lead after plating a run in the first and three more in the second.

Holliday drilled his solo shot onto the grass knoll in center with two outs in the first.

All three of St. Louis' runs in the second came with two outs. Pete Kozma worked a two-out walk and then scored on Miller's double down the left-field line. Carpenter then cracked his two-run shot into the seats in right-center for St. Louis' four-run cushion.

Colorado pushed across its first run in the fourth before the Cardinals got it back in the sixth.

Michael Cuddyer led off the fourth with a single, later advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Ben Paulsen two-out base hit to right.

Oscar Taveras' two-out RBI single in the sixth gave the Cardinals a 5-1 advantage.

Wilin Rosario's RBI single, Josh Rutledge's sacrifice fly and Michael McKenry's run-scoring double in the ninth got Colorado within 5-4.

Game Notes

The Cardinals were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position, while Colorado finished 2-for-8 ... Holliday's homer was his 18th of the season ... Miller had a 17-inning scoreless streak until the Rockies scored in the fourth.