Cardinals 1 - 2 Twins
Final
  for this game

Cardinals wrap up series with Twins

Jun 18, 2015 - 12:09 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The St. Louis Cardinals aim to bounce back when they target a series win over the Minnesota Twins Thursday at Target Field.

The Cardinals won the first two meetings with the Twins at Busch Stadium and were riding a five-game winning streak until Wednesday's 3-1 loss.

Carlos Martinez pitched well in defeat and gave up two runs -- one earned -- and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three in falling to 7-3 on the season.

"He kept us in the game," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. "We've got to score more runs."

Jason Heyward had two hits and drove in the Cards' lone run with an RBI single in the top of the second inning.

St. Louis saw its lead atop the NL Central drop to five games ahead of streaking Pittsburgh, which has won seven in a row. The Cardinals will visit Philadelphia and Miami next on this sojourn.

The Cardinals will hand the ball to Jaime Garcia on Thursday and he is 2-3 with a 2.06 earned run average through five starts. Garcia ended a personal two-game slide with Friday's 4-0 win over Kansas City, charged with just four hits over eight shutout innings.

Garcia has lasted at least seven innings in four starts this season and is winless (0-2) in both of his road outings. The left-hander will face the Twins for the first time.

Minnesota ended a two-game slide and won for the third time in the last 12 games with last night's victory.

Trevor Plouffe scored on a failed pickoff attempt and Eddie Rosario came home on a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. Rosario scored an insurance run in the eighth for the final margin. Eduardo Nunez had two hits and two RBI for the Twins, who remained 3 1/2 games behind Kansas City for the AL Central lead.

"We had some good at-bats at the right times, got enough runs, and made them stand up," said Twins manager Paul Molitor.

Tommy Milone earned the win with seven innings of one-run ball, five strikeouts and no walks. He scattered five hits, while Glen Perkins posted his MLB-best 23rd save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The Twins still have the Cubs and White Sox to entertain on this homestand.

Mike Pelfrey has been inconsistent on the mound of late and will get the start for the Twins on Thursday. Pelfrey has alternated results over his last six decisions and was pounded for eight runs and 11 hits in only 3 2/3 innings of an 11-7 loss at Texas on Saturday.

Pelfrey threw eight shutout innings in his previous start -- a 2-0 win over Milwaukee on June 7 -- and is 5-3 with a 3.18 earned run average in 12 starts. He is 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA in five home starts and 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four career meetings (3 starts) with St. Louis.

Minnesota and St. Louis are meeting for the first time since 2009, when the Twins won two of three meetings at Busch Stadium.






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