Torres hits 2-run homer to help Leahy and Cardinals cool off Marlins with 2-1 win

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Bryan Torres hit a two-run homer to back Kyle Leahy’s stingy start as the St. Louis Cardinals cooled off the Miami Marlins with a 2-1 victory Sunday that snapped a four-game skid.

Masyn Winn led off the second inning with a single against Tyler Phillips (1-3) and Torres followed with his third home run for a 2-0 lead.

Leahy (6-4) didn’t allow a hit until Owen Caissie and Graham Paulie had back-to-back doubles to begin the fifth, cutting it to 2-1. Leahy allowed one run on two hits with three walks in five innings.

JoJo Romero got four outs and Ryne Stanek induced an inning-ending double play in the seventh. George Soriano struck out two in a perfect eighth and Riley O’Brien retired the side in order in the ninth for his 20th save in 24 opportunities.

Phillips set down 12 in a row following Torres’ homer until JJ Wetherholt led off the sixth with a single. Iván Herrera grounded into a double play four pitches later and Alec Burleson bounced out to end the inning.

Burleson’s 25-game on-base streak ended and Herrera’s 22-game run was also stopped.

Phillips allowed two runs and six hits in a season-high 7 1/3 innings. He left in favor of Cade Gibson with runners at the corners, and catcher Joe Mack picked off Nathan Church at third base before Gibson struck out Wetherholt on the next pitch to end the inning.

The Cardinals (43-38) scored just three runs in the three-game series but avoided being swept by the Marlins at home for the first time in 30 years.

Miami (44-40) is 18-6 in June — best in the majors — and has won seven of its last eight series.

Up next

Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (8-4, 4.01 ERA) starts Monday’s series opener in Colorado.

Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) pitches Tuesday at Atlanta.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb