Diamondbacks 4 - 1 Cardinals
Final
  for this game

D-Backs outlast rain, Cardinals

Jul 8, 2011 - 6:02 AM

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St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Justin Upton belted a two-run homer and Joe Saunders pitched five scoreless innings for the win in a game delayed twice by rain, leading the Diamondbacks to a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals.

Saunders (6-7) moved to 6-2 in his last nine starts, giving up just one hit and four walks. He threw only 78 pitches, but was cursed by a 50-minute weather delay in the top of the sixth.

"It was my first career rain delay so (we) probably erred on the side of caution," Saunders said. "I tried to go back in the bullpen and throw some but I was shivering I was so cold from sweating so much."

The start of the four-game series was also delayed 66 minutes because of rain.

Arizona had just six hits, but they were enough to push its record to 4-3 on a 10-game road trip.

"It was just one of those (games) where a couple pitches made the difference," said Cardinals starter Kyle McClellan, who took the loss in seven innings. "I avoided the big inning for the most part, it just didn't work out."

McClellan (6-6) fell to 0-5 in his last six starts. He gave up all four runs -- three earned -- on six hits, walking two and striking out one.

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols went 0-for-3 with a walk in his second game back from a broken left wrist.

Chris Young singled leading off the second inning and scored later on Sean Burroughs' sacrifice fly to give the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead.

After Ryan Theriot doubled to lead off the first inning for the Cardinals, they drew four walks but didn't get another hit over the next four innings.

Arizona stretched its lead to 3-0 after the rain delay in the sixth. Ryan Roberts walked before the stoppage and Upton belted a two-run shot two batters after play resumed, knocking his 15th homer of the season over the wall in left-center field.

St. Louis finally scratched out a run in the bottom of the sixth when David Freese singled, Pujols walked and Matt Holliday pulled an RBI double down the left field line.

The Diamondbacks made it 4-1 in the seventh on Roberts' slow RBI single to left, which scored Gerardo Parra from second base after he doubled.

Micah Owings, Alberto Castillo and Yhency Brazoban threw one inning apiece and David Hernandez pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Game Notes

The Cardinals went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six on base...The Diamondbacks left five men on base.






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