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Descalso's HR lifts Cards over Marlins

May 4, 2011 - 6:34 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Daniel Descalso hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-5 victory over the Florida Marlins in the second of a four-game series.

Fernando Salas (1-0) earned the win in two innings of relief work for St. Louis' fifth victory in seven games.

Reliever Ryan Webb (0-3) took the loss for the Marlins, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.

Gaby Sanchez had four hits, an RBI and a run scored for Florida in the loss.

Matt Holliday's two-run home run in the first gave the Cardinals an early advantage.

St. Louis loaded the bases in the second with one out after Yadier Molina singled, Descalso reached on a fielding error, and Ryan Theriot walked. Allen Craig then worked a walk to bring in Molina, but Anibal Sanchez got out of the jam with an Albert Pujols grounder and a pop up by Holliday to keep the score 3-0.

The Marlins then loaded the bases themselves in the third after consecutive walks by John Buck and Emilio Bonifacio, and Anibal Sanchez reached base on a fielder's choice that did not result in an out. Chris Coghlan then grounded into a fielder's choice to second that scored Buck, and Bonifacio came home on a wild pitch to put the Marlins within one.

Florida took a 4-3 lead in the fourth with consecutive singles by Gaby Sanchez, Mike Stanton, Greg Dobbs, and Buck.

Holliday singled to lead off the fifth and was followed by a Lance Berkman walk before being brought home by a Colby Rasmus single. Two batters later, Descalso walked to load the bases with one out and force Anibal Sanchez from the game. Edward Mujica entered in relief, and induced a 1-2-3 double play from pinch-hitter Jon Jay to end the inning and keep the game tied at four.

"We're facing a very good hitting team here in St. Louis and they don't swing at bad pitches. They make you throw strikes and the pitch count on the pitcher is going to go up," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said of why Anibal Sanchez was pulled in the fifth inning.

Hanley Ramirez hit a single off of Salas in the seventh and moved to third on a wild pitch before being knocked in by a Gaby Sanchez single to give the Marlins a 5-4 lead.

The Cardinals answered back in their half of the seventh with a three-run shot by Descalso -- his first of the year -- off relief pitcher, Clay Hensley, to put them ahead for good.

"I was fired up to give us the lead. That was what I was thinking rounding the bases. I was happy to get my first homer, but to give us the lead, that's even better," said Descalso.

Eduardo Sanchez entered in the ninth for St. Louis and hit the first batter he faced, Coghlan. Omar Infante flew out and Ramirez worked a walk to put the tying run on base, but Gaby Sanchez flew out to center and Stanton struck out to give Eduardo Sanchez his second save.

Neither pitcher factored in the decision or pitched deep into the game.

Anibal Sanchez lasted 4 1/3 innings for the Marlins, and Kyle McClellan went just five innings for St. Louis.

Game Notes

Marlin's pitcher, Josh Johnson was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April on Tuesday -- his second career monthly award...Johnson's other Pitcher of the Month award was for June, 2010...Anibal Sanchez allowed four runs -- three earned -- on six hits and six walks while striking out two...McClellan allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while fanning two.