SEATTLE (AP) — Tommy Edman barely missed a go-ahead home run for the second straight game. A two-run single to score what proved to be the winning run was good enough this time.
Matt Wieters and Dexter Fowler homered, Edman came through with another key hit, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
Edman put the Cardinals in front for the second straight day with a two-run single in the seventh. Edman connected for a pinch-hit three-run homer during St. Louis’ five-run ninth in a 5-2 win Wednesday night. He nearly went deep again, watching his drive down the right field line for a potential grand slam on Thursday hook foul at the last moment. Rather than be bothered by the long strike, Edman worked a nine-pitch at-bat and capitalized with a single to put the Cardinals in front.
“He sees the ball well, which is awesome. You know he’s going to give you a professional at-bat,” Fowler about Edman.
Wieters hit a solo shot in the third inning and Fowler added a two-run drive in the fourth. Daniel Ponce de Leon got his first major league win, and Carlos Martinez worked the ninth for his third save. The Cardinals took two of three in the rare interleague series.
St. Louis starter Michael Wacha was charged with four runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings, but the Cardinals bullpen was solid for the second straight game. Ponce de Leon (1-0) allowed one baserunner in 2 2/3 innings. Andrew Miller worked out of a jam in the eighth before Martinez finished.
Ponce de Leon said he didn’t have a good feel for his breaking pitches in the bullpen, but his fastball was sharp.
“The main thing is to get the fastball going. If I can get the fastball going I can survive out there,” he said.
J.P. Crawford and Tim Beckham homered for the Mariners, who have dropped six of seven. All-Star Daniel Vogelbach added a run-scoring single.
Seattle wasted a chance to tie the game in the eighth. The inning started with Mallex Smith hitting a liner that deflected off John Gant’s leg for a base hit. Miller then replaced Gant, and a single by Domingo Santana and a wild pitch put runners at second and third with one out.
Miller escaped the threat by striking out Vogelbach and Omar Narvaez, and got a big assist from Wieters keeping a spiked pitch to Narvaez from going to the backstop.
“On TV, it was pretty amazing,” said Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, who was ejected in the fourth inning.
Seattle’s Tommy Milone (1-3) was solid for five innings following opener Matt Carasiti, but ran into trouble in the seventh. Milone was lifted after a leadoff walk and one-out single, and Matt Festa walked Wieters to load the bases. Edman barely missed a grand slam earlier in the at-bat when a deep fly ball hooked late. On the ninth pitch, Edman lined a slider into right to give St. Louis the lead.
“For two innings there in the middle of the game, we’d take the lead then I’d give it back and that’s definitely frustrating,” Milone said.
