ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yadier Molina has lined into so many hard outs, the St. Louis Cardinals figured he was overdue.

Molina and Oscar Taveras placed consecutive two-out RBI doubles just out of right fielder Giancarlo Stanton’s reach in a three-run sixth inning in a 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night.

“Both were hit pretty well, too. Not like they were pop-ups that were dropped,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We’ve seen Yaddy hit a lot of balls that way that don’t find the grass and he finally found one that did.”

Lance Lynn bounced back from his worst start of the season with 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Cardinals won their third straight.

Stanton, who entered with an NL-leading 21 homers and 61 RBIs, was 0 for 4. He punched the padded wall in frustration after his glove failed him for the second time, and Marlins starter Nathan Eovaldi (5-4) also showed frustration when he slammed his glove into the dugout on his way off the field after the inning.

Manager Mike Redmond didn’t blame Stanton, who left without speaking to reporters. He thought Molina’s drive ticked off the bottom of Stanton’s glove.

“I thought he had a good bead on it, he just came up a little short,” Stanton said. “He ran a long ways for both of those balls.”

The first four Marlins reached safely in the ninth before Trevor Rosenthal earned his 26th save in 29 chances. Christian Yelich’s RBI single eluded a sliding Matt Holliday in left and Stanton walked with the bases loaded before Casey McGehee grounded into a game-ending double play.

Earlier in the inning, Matheny unsuccessfully appealed that the Marlins’ Donovan Solano had passed teammate Reed Johnson tagging up at second when he had thought Holliday had made the catch. He wasn’t trying to buy time for his closer.

“We get an out there, it’s a great trade for a delay,” Matheny said. “We haven’t had many of those — hardly any — go our way.”

Matt Carpenter doubled off the top of the wall in center field to open the sixth, missing a home run by inches and circling his fingers as he arrived at second base. The Cardinals lost a crew chief appeal that lasted just 53 seconds, but Carpenter scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Molina and Oscar Taveras drove in a run apiece.

Lynn (9-6) allowed five hits with six strikeouts and three walks. He is 4-4 on the road and in his previous outing lasted two innings and surrendered a season-worst seven runs, six earned, while also troubled by a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand in a loss to the Dodgers.

Lynn said the problem had been losing the callous on the finger, not the blister. In any case, he had no finger issues.

“It’s just part of pitching,” Lynn said. “When it was all said and done, I had a really good sinker. When I have that, we’re going to use it.”

Eovaldi allowed two singles and two walks in the first five innings. He gave up three runs on four hits in the sixth.

Attendance of 46,131 to begin a seven-game home stand was the Cardinals’ 24th sellout in 41 games.

— Associated Press —

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jhonny Peralta knew he hit it well. He didn’t know how well until the ball landed in the seats.

Peralta’s two-run homer produced the first runs scored by St. Louis in its first at-bat since June 18, a span of 14 games, leading the Cardinals past the reeling San Francisco Giants 7-2 on Thursday.

“I’d heard from the guys that you need to hit it hard to get it out here,” Peralta said.

Carlos Martinez (2-3) earned his second win as a starter and added a two-run single for the Cardinals, who won their second straight after losing three in a row. Martinez allowed a run and five hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out six.

“We’ve had our struggles at the plate,” Peralta said. “It was good to start it off in the first inning.”

Madison Bumgarner (9-6) fell to 0-3 over his past four home starts after allowing five runs — four earned — and six hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out six.

Bumgarner also drove in a run for the Giants, who have lost 17 of 22 and fell out of first place in the NL West.

“You always want to play at home and I haven’t pitched very good here all year,” Bumgarner said. “I don’t know what it is. You can’t give in, you have to keep grinding.”

Help could be on the way. The Giants optioned first baseman Adam Duvall to Triple-A Fresno after the game in anticipation of recalling Brandon Belt in time for Friday’s game in San Diego.

“He’s somebody we like having out there,” Bumgarner said. “It’s not going to do anything but help us.”

Angel Pagan may return to the Giants lineup early next week, giving them some semblance of order at the top of the lineup.

Matt Carpenter continued ripping Giants pitching, extending his hitting streak against them to 11 games with a 2-for-4 effort. He has a .519 (28 for 54) career average against the Giants and has hit safely in 18 of his 20 games, including the postseason, against them.

“It’s one of those crazy things,” Carpenter said. “Luck has been on my side so far I guess.”

Yadier Molina added three hits and Oscar Tavares, John Jay and Shane Robinson each drove in a run for the Cardinals.

Peralta’s first-inning home run, after Carpenter drew a walk, put St. Louis ahead to stay.

“I was able to work the walk and Jhonny hit the home run,” Carpenter said. “That kind of set the tone and we found a way to pile it on.”

Bumgarner drove in a run for the Giants in the third, but then gave up three runs in the fourth — two on a single from Martinez.

Robinson, pinch hitting for Martinez in the sixth, tripled home a run. Tavares added an RBI in the seventh.

The Giants loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Martinez got Buster Posey on a swinging strike three to end the threat.

In the sixth, Tyler Colvin walked, Adam Duvall singled and Brandon Crawford punched a single into right field. An error allowed Colvin to score.

Sam Freeman, Seth Maness and Jason Motte combined to keep the Giants at bay.

— Associated Press —