Cardinals 9 - 6 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Cards go deep often to down D'Backs

May 8, 2012 - 7:40 AM

Video

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Five Cardinals banged solo home runs and Lance Lynn became the first pitcher to reach six wins as St. Louis topped the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-6, in the opener of a three-game set at Chase Field.

David Freese ripped an RBI double and a solo homer, while Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, Rafael Furcal and Allen Craig also hit solo shots and Yadier Molina contributed an RBI single for the Cardinals, who have won back-to-back games after dropping three straight.

Lynn (6-0) gave up three hits and four walks in five scoreless innings while racking up seven punchouts. Jason Motte worked around two hits in the ninth to nail down his fifth save of the season.

"We're winning games while I'm on the mound, so that's all that matters. That's what I'm here trying to do," Lynn said.

Cody Ransom crushed a two-run homer, Ryan Roberts added a two-run double, while Gerardo Parra and Miguel Montero had an RBI each for the Diamondbacks, who have lost three straight.

Joe Saunders (2-2) was rocked for seven runs -- six earned -- on nine hits and one walk while fanning two over just 3 1/3 innings.

"I didn't have it...When you don't have it, you're going to give up runs," Saunders said.

The Cardinals got off to a hot start offensively, plating three runs in their first at-bat. Furcal smashed a ball deep over the center field wall to lead off the inning. After Beltran and Holliday made outs, Craig ripped a single up the middle and scored on a double down the left field line by Freese, who then hustled around to score on a single by Molina.

Beltran and Holliday crushed back-to-back solo shots off Saunders in the third to extend the St. Louis lead to 5-0.

Taylor Greene beat out an infield single and moved to second when Lynn reached on an error to start the Cardinals fourth. After Beltran popped out, Holliday coaxed a free pass to load the bases. Brad Ziegler was summoned from the bullpen, but walked Craig to force in Lynn to make it a 7-0 game.

The D-Backs got back into the game in a big way in the sixth, sending nine men to the plate and scoring six runs to make it a one-run game.

Montero singled to start the inning and trotted home on a deep homer to left by Ransom. Lyle Overbay walked and Aaron Hill singled before Roberts brought them home with a double into left to make it 7-4. Roberts was able to score when Parra beat out an infield single and A.J. Pollack scored on a single by Montero to cap the huge inning.

The Cards answered right back in the seventh to take a 9-6 lead when Craig and Freese clubbed back-to-back homers.

Motte allowed hits to Jason Kubel and Ransom in the ninth, but recovered to record the save.

Game Notes

The Cardinals have scored in the opening inning in each of their last seven games and in 14 of their first 29 games. St. Louis has outscored the opposition 27-16 in the opening inning this season...St. Louis leads the all- time series, 60-41, and is 28-24 in Arizona...The last time the Cardinals hit back-to-back home runs twice in the same game was July 15, 2007.






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