Marlins 6 - 5 Cardinals
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Marlins pay a visit to St. Louis

May 2, 2011 - 2:33 PM

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(Sports Network) - A pair of early-season contenders for National League supremacy square off tonight when the Florida Marlins visit Busch Stadium to open a four-game series with the host St. Louis Cardinals.

The Marlins won two of three games in Cincinnati over the weekend to improve to 17-9 overall and climb within a half-game of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL's East Division.

Florida has won seven of 11 road games in 2011.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are two games ahead of the pack in the NL Central with a 16-12 record and won two of three games over the weekend at another NL East foe - Atlanta.

St. Louis was 6-6 in 12 home games in April.

The Cardinals send unlikely ace Kyle Lohse to the mound to open the series in search of his fifth consecutive victory.

The 32-year-old Californian opened the season with a 4-3 loss against Pittsburgh on April 4, but has since beaten San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington and Houston while equaling the win total he posted in 18 starts for St. Louis in 2010.

Lohse has tossed 16 scoreless innings across the two most recent starts, downing the Nationals and Astros while allowing jut six hits and striking out eight batters.

His earned run average has plummeted to 1.64 in 38 1/3 innings and he's allowed an opposition batting average of .173.

Lohse has split four career decisions against the Marlins.

Florida goes with righty Chris Volstad, who looks for a third consecutive victory after opening with a no-decision and a loss.

The 24-year-old carried an 0-1 record and a bloated 5.59 ERA after a loss to Atlanta on April 12, but has bounced back with defeats of Pittsburgh and Los Angeles on April 21 and 26, respectively.

He allowed seven hits and two runs with a walk and five strikeouts in a 4-2 defeat of the Dodgers in his last start.

The Florida native, a 12-game winner in 2010, is 2-1 in three career starts against St. Louis with a 4.12 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.

On Sunday in Atlanta, Brooks Conrad's pinch-hit run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning was the difference, as the Braves edged the Cardinals, 6-5, in the finale of a three-game set at Turner Field.

Matt Holliday had a pair of doubles and drove in two, while Lance Berkman and Albert Pujols had an RBI apiece for St. Louis, which had a four-game winning streak halted.

Jonny Venters (1-0) worked a perfect top of the ninth and Gonzalez reached first when Ryan Theriot dropped a pop up to start the home half off Ryan Franklin (0-3). Joe Mather moved Gonzalez up to second with a bunt and Nate McLouth walked before Conrad's single to right scored the winning run.

In Cincinnati, Emilio Bonifacio hit a three-run homer and Hanley Ramirez added a two-run shot, as the Marlins clubbed a season-high five homers in taking a 9-5 decision over the Reds in the rubber match of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park.

John Buck had a two-run blast, while Mike Stanton and Greg Dobbs each had a solo shot for Florida, which has won five of its last seven overall.

Ricky Nolasco (3-0) worked seven solid innings, yielding three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five. Leo Nunez got the final two outs in the ninth to record his ninth save of the season.

Florida won three of its five matchups with the Cardinals in 2010.






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