Rangers 2 - 1 Cardinals
Final
  for this game

Rangers finish sweep of Cardinals in rainy St. Louis

Jun 24, 2013 - 6:29 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers withered the storm in St. Louis and did just enough damage to Adam Wainwright to take a 2-1 victory and hand the Cardinals their first series sweep of the season.

Wainwright (10-5) was handed an unlucky loss despite limiting Texas to six hits over 6 2/3 frames. He was charged with two runs, but only one earned.

A costly error on St. Louis shortstop Pete Kozma in the seventh put the go- ahead run in scoring position and Ian Kinsler's ensuing base hit gave Texas the lead for good in this series finale which saw a three-hour rain delay.

Leonys Martin drove in the tying run earlier in the seventh off Wainwright, who was aiming to become the National League's first 11-game winner.

Nick Tepesch turned in 5 2/3 frames of one-run ball on four hits for the red hot Rangers, who have won five straight and six of seven overall. Robbie Ross (4-1) recorded the last out of the sixth to pick up the win.

Matt Carpenter had two hits and accounted for the Cardinals' only offense with a solo home run.

Kozma lined into a game-ending double-play against Joe Nathan, who earned his 25th save. St. Louis lost just its second series at home this season.

Tepesch had allowed at least five runs in each of his last three starts coming in, but worked through the first four innings Sunday without giving up a hit.

He began to unwind in the sixth, however, when the Cardinals began their third trip through the lineup. Carpenter took him deep into the bullpen in right to give the Cards a 1-0 lead, and was yanked after two more batters reached base.

Ross entered from the bullpen and kept it a one-run game by getting David Freese to ground out to end the threat.

Wainwright got two quick outs in the seventh, but couldn't get through the inning. He served up a double to David Murphy and was then lifted after Martin ripped a shot back up the middle to tie the score at 1-1.

Trevor Rosenthal took the hill and got pinch-hitter Jurickson Profar to hit a weak line drive to short, but Kozma dropped it and the error put runners on first and second. Kinsler then plated Martin with a liner to left for a 2-1 lead.

Nathan gave up one-out singles to Matt Adams and Jon Jay in the ninth. Kozma looked to redeem himself when he put a solid rip on the ball, but Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre nabbed it and doubled off pinch runner Shane Robinson at second base to end the game.

Game Notes

Wainwright had a streak of six straight outings with at least seven innings pitched come to an end ... The Cardinals have dropped four of their last five overall. Their only other home series loss this season came against the Pittsburgh Pirates from April 26-28 ... Its just the Cardinals' second three- game losing streak of the season ... Martin extended his hitting streak to nine games.






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