Marlins blank Cardinals for the second consecutive night

Cal Quantrill and three relievers combined on a five-hitter as the visiting Miami Marlins blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 Wednesday night

Quantrill (4-8) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out three. In his last three starts, he has allowed just one run on eight hits in 16 innings.

After dropping the series opener, Miami blanked St. Louis in the last two games, allowing a total of nine base hits.

Tyler Phillips held the Cardinals to two hits over 2 1/3 innings. Ronny Henriquez retired two batters and Calvin Faucher closed out the ninth inning for his 10th save.

Jesus Sanchez hit a two-run homer for the Marlins, who won for the sixth time in their last eight games to edge closer in the National League wild card race. Sanchez and Otto Lopez each had a pair of hits for the visitors.

Starter Miles Mikolas (6-8) allowed two runs on five hits in six innings for the Cardinals, who are 4-9 since the All-Star break. He struck out five and walked none.

Mikolas skirted trouble in the first inning. After Sanchez hit a one-out double and went to third on an Agustin Ramirez single to right, Kyle Stowers struck out and Otto Lopez flied out to strand them.

The Cardinals stranded a runner in scoring position in the second inning. Nolan Arenado reached on a one-out infield single and advanced on a throwing error.

Quantrill left him at second base, though, by retiring Yohel Pozo and Jordan Walker on groundouts.

Miami took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Xavier Edwards hit a single and Sanchez followed with his 439-foot homer to center field.

Quantrill worked out of a major jam in the fifth inning. After Walker reached on a one-out single and stole second base, Thomas Saggese and Victor Scott II walked to load the bases.

But Quantrill struck out Brendan Donovan and coaxed an inning-ending grounder from Ivan Herrera.

Donovan walked leading off the eighth inning. After Henriquez replaced Phillips, Burleson drew a one-out walk before Willson Contreras and Arenado struck out to end the threat.