Miles Mikolas improves to 7-1 as Cardinals beat Marlins 4-1

Miles Mikolas rebounded from his first loss of the season to pitch three-hit ball over seven innings and lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Thursday.

Mikolas (7-1) allowed an unearned run, struck out five and walked one, lowering his ERA to 2.27 as the Cardinals salvaged the series finale after a pair of losses. Mikolas, coming off a 4-0 loss to Pittsburgh, has pitched at least six innings in 10 of 12 starts this season.

Jordan Hicks pitched around a walk and a hit in the eighth, topping 100 mph on nine of 18 pitches, and Bud Norris finished the four-hitter with a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.

Trevor Richards (0-3), who was born in Aviston, Illinois, 50 miles from St. Louis, gave up three runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

Jose Martinez hit a two-run homer in the first, giving him a team-high 35 RBIs. Justin Bour cut the lead with an opposite-field RBI double in the sixth after right fielder Dexter Fowler dropped Starlin Castro's fly for a two-base error.

Marcell Ozuna hit an RBI single in the bottom half, and pinch-hitter Luke Volt homered off Adam Conley leading off the seventh.

TRIBUTE TO RED

The No. 2 of Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst was displayed in the dirt behind second base during. Schoendienst, who died Wednesday at age 95, spent 67 years in the Cardinals organization as a player, coach, manager and special assistant. He signed with the Cardinals as an infielder in 1945 and won a World Series as St. Louis manager in 1967.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Marlins: Richards was recalled from New Orleans, and RHP Tyler Cloyd was optioned to the Triple-A team.

Cardinals: RHP's Greg Holland and Matt Bowman began rehab assignments with Triple-A Memphis. Holland has missed 11 games with a right hip injury. Bowman has been out 19 games with blisters on his right index and middle fingers.

UP NEXT

Marlins: LHP Caleb Smith (4-6, 4.03) will face San Diego LHP Eric Lauer (2-3, 6.82) in the first game of a three-game set on Friday in Miami. Smith leads major league rookies with 74 strikeouts.

Cardinals: RHP Luke Weaver (3-5, 4.11) will face RHP Matt Harvey (1-4, 5.79) in the first of a three-game series on Friday in Cincinnati. Weaver has not won since May 11.