LOS ANGELES (AP) — Carlos Martinez outpitched Brett Anderson again during their second low-scoring duel in six days, and the St. Louis Cardinals scratched across a pair of runs in the eighth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Friday night.
Martinez (6-2) allowed his only run in the second on a bases-loaded walk to power-hitting rookie Joc Pederson. The right-hander gave up three hits and had a career-high 11 strikeouts in seven innings while helping the Cardinals lower their major league-best ERA to 2.57.
Last Sunday, Martinez held the Dodgers to one hit over seven innings and struck out eight in a 3-1 victory over Anderson, which followed an emotional pregame tribute to Martinez’s late teammate and best friend Oscar Taveras, who was killed in a car accident in October.
Anderson (2-4) allowed two runs and four hits in 7 2/3 innings. The Cardinals, with the best record in the majors at 37-18, were held to a pair of harmless singles over the first seven innings and failed to get a runner in scoring position until everything unraveled for Anderson in the eighth.
Yadier Molina drew a leadoff walk, Jason Heyward followed with an infield single up the middle and Tony Cruz advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt while batting for Martinez.
Kolten Wong was credited with a tying RBI single that scored pinch-runner Pete Kozma when Anderson failed to cover first base on a grounder to Adrian Gonzalez wide of the bag. Carpenter drove in Hayward with a sacrifice fly on Anderson’s 88th and final pitch.
Trevor Rosenthal, the fourth St. Louis pitcher, got three outs for his 18th save in 19 attempts to secure the Cardinals’ fourth straight win and 10th in 12 games.
Martinez, who hadn’t allowed a run in his previous three starts spanning 20 1/3 innings, gave up two walks and two singles in the second when the Dodgers scored their run. After the walk to Pederson, Martinez minimized the damage by retiring Jimmy Rollins on a double-play grounder — two pitches after getting a visit from pitching coach Derek Lilliquist.
The Dodgers did not get another baserunner until Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk in the sixth. Martinez struck out the next three batters.
NEW ADDITION
Scott Schebler, promoted earlier in the day from Triple-A Oklahoma City, started in left field for the Dodgers and went 1 for 3 in his major league debut — including an opposite-field single to left his first time up.
Schebler was a 26th-round draft pick in 2012 and was selected the organization’s minor league player of the year in 2013 after batting .296 with 27 homers and 91 RBI for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Relief pitcher Daniel Coulombe was optioned to Oklahoma City to open a roster spot for him.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: OF Tommy Pham (left quadriceps) was activated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Memphis. 1B Matt Adams (right quadriceps strain) was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Dodgers: 2B Howie Kendrick missed his second straight game because of a sprained right knee. … RHP Pedro Baez, who hasn’t pitched since May 13 because of a strain in his right pectoral muscle, threw off a mound for the first time and didn’t experience any pain. … RHP Brandon League (shoulder impingement) and RHP Brandon Beachy (elbow surgery) are still in the bullpen-session stage. Neither has been scheduled for a minor league rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (1-2) will make his fourth start of the season after missing the first 40 games while recovering from thoracic outlet surgery.
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-3) lost to St. Louis in the final game of the 2013 NL Championship Series and the final game of the 2014 Division Series. During the regular season, the reigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner is 5-5 with a 3.46 ERA in 14 starts against the Cardinals.
— Associated Press —