MIAMI (AP) — Still out of the starting lineup, Dexter Fowler helped the St. Louis Cardinals to a big finish.

Fowler singled home the tiebreaking run as a pinch hitter with one out in the ninth inning, and the Cardinals rallied from a late four-run deficit for their fifth consecutive victory by beating the Miami Marlins 6-5 Tuesday.

The game was tied when rookie sensation Magneuris Sierra reached on an infield single with one out in the ninth, and he continued to second on an errant throw to first by A.J. Ramos (1-2). Fowler followed with a sharp single to right field , and the speedy Sierra slid home ahead of Giancarlo Stanton’s throw.

Fowler was held out of the starting lineup for the fifth game in a row because of a lat injury.

“The boys are out there grinding,” he said. “Obviously I’ve been on the shelf, but I’ll take being out there to contribute anyway I can.”

The game-winning RBI was Fowler’s third this year.

Sierra, recalled Sunday from Class A Palm Beach, has helped pick up the slack. The 21-year-old scored twice and had two hits to hike his average to .357.

“I feel so happy,” he said. “It’s like winning the World Series.”

The Cardinals overcame a 5-1 deficit with four runs against Kyle Barraclough in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Matt Adams had an RBI single, and Jedd Gyorko’s two-run single off Brad Ziegler tied the game.

“They were determined to make something happened,” manager Mike Matheny said. “That’s just showing heart — heart and fight.”

Trevor Rosenthal (1-1) pitched around a leadoff walk in the eighth. Seung Hwan Oh pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.

The Cardinals’ winning streak is their longest this season and has vaulted them into the NL Central lead. They have won eight in a row on the road.

Miami lost its fifth series in a row.

“We’re in a little funk,” Barraclough said. “There’s not just one thing you can blame. Everyone has to snap out of it and just move on.”

Adam Wainwright shut out the Marlins for the first four innings but failed to make it through their four-run sixth. Derek Dietrich hit a two-run double and scored twice for Miami.

The Marlins’ Dan Straily allowed one run and left after seven innings with a four-run lead but remained winless since April 11.

TOSSED AGAIN

The Marlins lost without manager Don Mattingly, who has seen less than three innings of the series’ first two games. He was ejected by plate umpire Andy Fletcher in the bottom of the first inning, after being tossed following the second inning Monday.

Fletcher first ejected center fielder Christian Yelich for protesting after being called out on strikes. Mattingly then came onto the field to argue and also got tossed.

“You’re always going to protect your player,” interim manager Tim Wallach said. “You hate to see Yeli get thrown out that early.”

SQUEEZE PLAY

Mattingly shook up his lineup, dropping leadoff batter Dee Gordon to the No. 9 spot. The tweak came into play in the fifth when Straily, batting eighth, laid down a suicide squeeze bunt with one out to drive home the Marlins’ first run.

Straily didn’t try to bunt until the count reached 3-2, and pulled it off with the infield in to score Dietrich.

“The self-proclaimed best bunter on the pitching staff,” Straily said.

ROSTER MOVES

Marlins: Struggling LHP Adam Conley was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans, and INF Miguel Rojas (broken right thumb) was placed on the 60-day DL. Miami recalled C Tomas Telis and selected the contract of 1B-OF Tyler Moore. Both had been with New Orleans.
Conley took the loss Monday against the Cardinals and is 2/3 with a 7.53 ERA. RHP Jose Urena will take his place in the rotation.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: SS Adeiny Hechavarria left the game in the fourth inning with a tight oblique, adding to the team’s long list of ailing infielders. … 3B Martin Prado (Grade 2 strained right hamstring) is expected to be sidelined for more than a month. … Rojas might be ready to return when he’s eligible to come off the DL.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn (4-1, 2.04) is scheduled to start the series finale Wednesday against RHP Tom Koehler (1-1, 5.40). Lynn has won all four of his career starts against the Marlins.

— Associated Press —

MIAMI (AP) — Carlos Martinez pulled into second base and began gesturing to his dugout. He swung his clasped hands triumphantly from ear to ear, made a chest-high flapping motion with both hands and raised his arms to the sky, a pitcher celebrating his own slugging .

The St. Louis ace hit a three-run double for his first hit of the year and later added an RBI single, more than compensating for the two homers he allowed to Marcell Ozuna and leading the Cardinals over the Miami Marlins 9-4 Monday for their season-best fourth consecutive win.

The Cardinals totaled 10 hits, and Martinez’s double was the biggest blow. He had been 0 for 11 this year.

“My teammates had confidence in me that I could hit,” he said. “They were celebrating with me.”

His RBI were the No. 1 topic in the postgame clubhouse.

“Big situations — I like the way he didn’t try to do too much,” manager Mike Matheny said. “He’s a good athlete.”

Martinez (2-3) also pitched six innings and allowed three runs, all on Ozuna’s homers. He struck out seven and walked two.

“At times the sinker had too much movement, and that’s a good problem to have,” Matheny said. “He was very sharp.”

Miguel Socolovich pitched three innings to earn his first career save. He gave up Giancarlo Stanton’s 11th homer in the ninth, his third in two days.

Ozuna also has 11 homers. He limped off the field with a tight hamstring after flying out in the ninth but said he doesn’t think the issue is serious.

Matt Carpenter had a two-run triple for the Cardinals. Teammate Magneuris Sierra, called up Sunday from Class A Palm Beach, contributed two hits and scored twice.

By the fourth, Martinez had a 7-0 lead, a big change for the right-hander. The Cardinals had scored only seven runs while he was on the mound previously this year.

The Cardinals have outscored opponents 30-11 during the winning streak and have won seven consecutive road games since April 21.

Conley (2-3) allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings, hiking his ERA to 7.53. He said the hits by Martinez were the toughest to stomach.

“I have to be able to get him out there,” Conley said. “Twice I threw him fastballs away, which in hindsight is probably the pitch he’s got the best shot at hitting. I know he can swing it a little bit. He’s a great athlete. I just had to be better.”

The Cardinals loaded the bases with two out in the second, and Martinez cleared them by pulling the first pitch down the left field line. He added an RBI single in the fourth.

“I was not trying to swing hard but to make good contact and put the ball in play,” said Martinez, who began the game with eight career RBI.

TOSSED

Marlins manager Don Mattingly was ejected for arguing balls and strikes after Martinez struck out the side in the second. It was his second ejection this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: CF Dexter Fowler (right shoulder) was held out of the starting lineup for the fourth game in a row but is improving and might return during the series.

Marlins: INF Miguel Rojas (broken right thumb) is expected to be in a cast for a couple of months and may require surgery, putting his season in jeopardy. He’s batting .328 in a utility role. … 3B Martin Prado (strained right hamstring) was placed on the 10-day DL before the game and was scheduled to undergo an MRI. INF J.T. Riddle was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.

RHP Wei-Yin Chen (tired arm) is expected to miss his turn for the second time in a row Friday, with RHP Jose Urena again taking his place, Mattingly said. … RHP Edinson Volquez (blister) is expected to come off the DL to start Saturday against Atlanta. … LHP Jeff Locke (shoulder), who has yet to pitch for the Marlins, began a rehab assignment with Class A Jupiter by pitching four scoreless innings Monday.

SELECTIVE SLUGGER

Stanton’s strong start this season is a reflection of improved patience at the plate, Mattingly said.

“He has been way more consistent this year than last year,” Mattingly said. “He seems to have more of a plan of what he wants to accomplish when he goes up there. I see him being more patient and getting better pitches to hit. That’s the key.”

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (2-3, 6.30) is scheduled to start Tuesday against RHP Dan Straily (1-3, 4.65). Wainwright faced Miami once last year and pitched a three-hit shutout.

— Associated Press —