Paul Goldschmidt hit a walk-off homer in the 11th inning, giving the host St. Louis Cardinals a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.
Goldschmidt has just two hits in his past 24 at-bats -- both homers. He pulled his latest long ball, his 14th of the year, to left off of reliever Adam Conley (1-7).
John Gant (7-0) earned the win, pitching one scoreless inning.
St. Louis has won two of three heading into the finale of the four-game series on Thursday. The Cardinals are 4-2 against Miami this year, with the only two Marlins wins coming from rookie pitcher Jordan Yamamoto.
Daniel Ponce de Leon and Rangel Ravelo -- both 27 years old -- had interesting nights for St. Louis.
Ponce de Leon, drafted four times during a nomadic amateur career, nearly got his first major league win in his 14th appearance (seventh start). He allowed just two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings, striking out six and leaving with a 1-0 lead. He settled for a no-decision.
Ravelo, a native of Cuba who went to high school in the Miami area, played 838 minor league games before making his first start in the majors on Wednesday. The first baseman went 1-for-4, singling for his first major league hit.
Marlins starter Trevor Richards also took a no-decision. In 5 2/3 innings, he allowed just four hits, three walks and one run while striking out eight.
Richards matched his career high with 108 pitches. But that 108th pitch led to the game's first run as Dexter Fowler lofted a soft, opposite-field RBI single over shortstop on a 1-2 count. Fowler's hit ended St. Louis' 14-inning scoring drought.
That sixth-inning rally started with Jose Martinez's 400-foot single that hit the bottom of the wall in center. With two outs and a 3-2 count, Ravelo pulled his line-drive single to left, advancing Martinez to third.
Miami tied the score in the eighth. With two outs and nobody on, Jorge Alfaro singled and advanced to second on fellow pinch hitter Austin Dean's broken-bat infield single. Miguel Rojas then went the other way on a 98 mph fastball from reliever Carlos Martinez, grounding an RBI single to right.
St. Louis had a chance to win it in the 10th, loading the bases with no outs. But reliever Sergio Romo got a strikeout, and former Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna hit into a double play.
One inning later, Goldschmidt hit the game-winner.
--Field Level Media
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