Cardinals 2 - 5 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Cardinals resume pursuit of Central title in Arizona

Sep 27, 2014 - 1:31 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The St. Louis Cardinals needed extra innings to remain in the hunt for a National League Central title and will try to achieve the feat Saturday in the middle portion of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

The Cardinals can wrap up the NL Central with a win and a loss by the Pittsburgh Pirates in Cincinnati. The Cardinals have a one-game lead on the Pirates and squeezed out a 7-6 win in 10 innings Friday night in Arizona.

Jhonny Peralta singled home Daniel Descalso in the top of the 10th inning and Trevor Rosenthal took care of business in the bottom half for his 45th save. Marco Gonzales got the win with a scoreless ninth inning and starting pitcher Michael Wacha yielded two runs and five hits in five innings.

Peralta, though, posted three hits and three RBI, while Jon Jay, Matt Adams and Kolten Wong had two hits apiece for the Cardinals, winners in nine of their last 13 games.

"In these situations, you see what teams are made of," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. "Just a great team effort."

Lance Lynn draws the start for Matheny's club Saturday and he is 15-10 with a 2.73 earned run average. Lynn is winless (0-2) in his last three starts and gave up three runs in six innings of a 7-2 setback to the Reds on Sunday. He is 6-6 in 14 road starts and 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA in six career games (4 starts) against the Diamondbacks.

The D-backs suffered their third straight loss and ninth in 10 tries, and management relieved manager Kirk Gibson and bench coach Alan Trammell of their duties.

Gibson joined the D-backs as bench coach in 2007 and became the interim manager in July 2010. He was named the 2011 NL Manager of the Year after leading Arizona to an NL West title in his first full year as skipper, but the team followed up consecutive 81-81 seasons with a disappointing 2014 campaign.

"Kirk has done an admirable job under difficult circumstances and we are grateful for his professionalism and his dedicated service to the organization over the past eight years," Diamondbacks chief baseball officer Tony La Russa said in a statement. "We feel like it is time for a fresh start and with our recent restructuring in Baseball Operations, we want to get started immediately moving in a new direction. We are also appreciative of Alan Trammell for all that he has done for the D-backs and have great respect for what both men have accomplished in the game of baseball."

Trammell spent four seasons as bench coach on Gibson's staff.

Ender Inciarte extended his hit streak to 14 games with a 4-for-6 effort, while Didi Gregorius had three hits and two RBI for the D-backs, who rallied back from a 6-2 deficit before falling short in extras.

Trevor Cahill gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Arizona. Evan Marshall absorbed the loss for serving up Peralta's RBI single in the 10th.

Wade Miley will try to derail St. Louis' title plans when he toes the rubber Saturday for Arizona. Miley is 8-12 with a 4.35 earned run average and has lost five of his last six decisions. In Sunday's 8-3 setback at Colorado, Miley was reached for six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Miley, a left-hander, has a 3-7 mark in 15 home starts this season and is 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals.

St. Louis swept a three-game set from Arizona at Busch Stadium in May.






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