Marlins vs Cardinals Recap: Miami shuts out St. Louis 4-0

The Miami Marlins rolled into St. Louis on Saturday looking to keep their winning streak alive. They were coming off three straight wins and feeling dangerous. The Cardinals, meanwhile, had lost three in a row and needed a spark. The Marlins' ace Max Meyer took the mound for Miami, and he was sharp from pitch one. The Cardinals' Michael McGreevy started for St. Louis. Both pitchers kept the game tight early on. The Marlins' speed and defense controlled the action in the opening innings. Esteury Ruiz, Miami's lightning-quick leadoff man, was on base and ready to wreak havoc. Xavier Edwards and the Marlins' lineup stayed patient at the plate. The Cardinals couldn't generate any early offense. Their bats stayed quiet as Meyer worked efficiently. Miami's pitching staff was dominant. By the time the eighth inning arrived, nobody had scored yet.

Then came the eighth inning, and everything shifted. The Marlins' bats suddenly woke up. Esteury Ruiz was on base when Graham Pauley stepped up to face Cardinals reliever George Soriano. Pauley connected with a 97-mile-per-hour fastball and doubled to right field. Ruiz raced home. The Marlins were up 1-0. But Miami wasn't done. Kyle Stowers grounded out to first base, but Pauley scored on the play. After a Cardinals challenge, the umpires overturned the call on the field. The Marlins were up 2-0. The Cardinals' bullpen was crumbling. Miami's aggressive baserunning and timely hitting punished every mistake. The Marlins had momentum now. Their pitching remained locked in. Max Meyer pitched seven strong innings with just five strikeouts and two walks. The eighth inning proved to be the turning point.

The ninth inning brought one final flourish for Miami. Max Rajcic took over pitching for St. Louis. Jakob Marsee stepped up to the plate with runners on base. He lined a single to center field, and two more Marlins scored. The scoreboard showed 4-0, Miami. The shutout was locked in. Max Meyer had delivered a masterclass on the mound, allowing just two hits and zero runs in seven innings. The Marlins' defense behind him was perfect. No Cardinals hitter could find a way to break through. St. Louis finished the day with just three hits total. The shutout win improved Miami to 44-39 on the season. The Marlins stayed hot with their fourth straight win. The Cardinals fell to 42-37 and lost their fourth consecutive game. Miami's pitching staff proved why they're a dangerous team when Meyer pitches like this.