Pinch-hitter Colby Rasmus hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning after a costly error by center fielder Cody Ross,
sending the St. Louis Cardinals over the Florida Marlins 6-5 Thursday.
The Cardinals rallied for three runs in the eighth. Ross allowed Ryan Ludwick's RBI single to get past him for a two-base error that
let an additional run score, and Rasmus fo0llowed with his tiebreaking hit. Albert Pujols hit his 19th home run and Rick Ankiel added three hits for the Cardinals.
Ross Gload homered twice for the Marlins. He drove in three runs with the first multihomer game of his career.
Trever Miller pitched a scoreless seventh. Ryan Franklin recorded his 14th save by going 1 2-3 innings. Pujols reached into the first-base stands and caught Wes Helms' foul popup with a runner on second for the final out.
Leo Nunez took over in the eighth with Florida ahead 5-3. Ankiel led off with a single, Pujols walked on a full count and Ludwick singled. The ball got under Ross' glove and rolled to the wall, letting Ankiel and Pujols score the tying runs. Rasmus batted for Miller and singled to right.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first against Andrew Miller when Nick Stavinoha singled home Ankiel. Gload put the Marlins ahead with a two-run homer in the second off Todd Wellemeyer.
Ronny Paulino had an RBI single in the Marlins fourth and Jeremy Hermida blooped an RBI single in the fifth for a 4-1 lead. Miller was cruising along, having retiring 14 straight batters, until Ankiel singled in the sixth. Pujols followed with a two-run homer off the left-field foul pole.
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Gload responded in the bottom half, leading off with a home run to right. He went into the game with only one home run this season.
Wellemeyer allowed five runs and 11 hits in six innings. Miller gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings, striking out
eight without a walk.
