Cardinals Keep Pace In Wild-Card Race, Edge Marlins On Molina's Blast

Miami, FL (AHN) - St. Louis rode the back of catcher Yadier Molina for the go-ahead run in the fourth and the Cardinals stayed in pace of the wild-card chase with a 4-2 win over Florida at Dolphin Stadium Monday night.

Molina delivered a huge two-run homer in the fourth that put the Cardinals ahead 3-2. The catcher has not had a home run in more than two months but his connection against Annibal Sanchez sure halted a drought in searing fashion.

St. Louis kept within a stone's throw away behind Milwaukee, which holds a three-game edge over its rival in the NL wild-card race. Florida, also a wild-card threat, slipped six games further in the postseason positioning.

Joel Pineiro evened his season record to 5-5 after holding the Marlins to one earned run and seven hits through seven innings.

Kyle McClellan allowed one hit in the eighth and Chris Perez worked the ninth for his second save of the season.

The Cardinals, who won for just the second time in the last five games, will start Kyle Lohse in the second contest of the four-game series Tuesday night against Marlins starter Chris Volstad.

Florida, which dropped three games out of first place in the NL East, got eight hits and went ahead with a pair of runs in the first two innings.

A wild pitch from Pineiro allowed Hanley Ramirez to touch home plate before Cody Ross belted a solo shot for a 2-1 lead.

That cushion didn't last long on Molina's blast and the Cardinals added an insurance in the ninth on a solo homer from pinch-hitter Joe Mather.

Sanchez allowed three runs and six hits while striking out eight in seven innings. It was his second straight defeat since losing 5-0 at Philadelphia last week, when he yielded three runs and five hits in five innings.