Recap: Florida vs. St. Louis
Sports Network | August 14, 2008
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Todd Wellemeyer and three Cardinals relievers combined on a four-hit shutout, and Ryan Ludwick provided all the offense in St. Louis' 3-0 win over the Florida Marlins in the finale of a four-game series.
Wellemeyer (10-4), a former Marlin, gave up just three hits in 7 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and four walks as he lowered his ERA on the season to 3.79. Ludwick hit a two-run homer and an RBI double for the Cards, who took three of four from the Marlins.
Scott Olsen (6-8) gave up three runs on 10 hits in seven frames, with six strikeouts and no walks, to take the loss for the Marlins, who have dropped five of seven. Florida entered play Thursday trailing the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies -- who were tied atop the NL East -- by two games.
Cesar Izturis singled to right to get the Cardinals started in the third. He then stole second as Olsen made a pickoff throw to first baseman Mike Jacobs. Jacobs' throw to second was wild, allowing Izturis to advance to third.
Ludwick then laced a pitch into left for a two-bagger, and the Cards took a 1-0 edge.
The St. Louis right fielder, in the midst of a career year, belted a fly ball over the fence in left-center with one out and one man on in the seventh. The two-run shot, Ludwick's 30th of the season, boosted the Cards to a 3-0 lead.
Wellemeyer, meanwhile, cruised after getting out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the third. He beaned Dan Uggla to start the fourth, but quickly erased him on Jeremy Hermida's double play. Hermida's twin-killing started a string of 13 straight Marlins retired by Wellemeyer before he walked Hanley Ramirez and gave up a single to Luis Gonzalez with two outs in the eighth.
Russ Springer came out of the bullpen and struck out Jorge Cantu to end that threat, though, and Ron Villone and Ryan Franklin worked around one hit in the ninth to nail down the win.
Ludwick's previous career-high for homers in a season was 14 last season...Albert Pujols went 0-for-4, and 2-for-15 with two runs scored and no RBI in the series...Jacobs' throwing error stopped a streak of five error-free games for the Marlins, their longest streak of the season...St. Louis is 12-4 in its last 16 games at Dolphin Stadium...It was Wellemeyer's first career start against the Marlins.
