MIAMI _ Michael Wacha probably wouldn't call it redemption but on Monday night the veteran Cardinals right-hander, rescued from a nearly three-week exile to the bullpen, showed that he still can be a viable rotation piece for the Cardinals.
Inducing three double plays and allowing just five singles, Wacha blanked the Miami Marlins for six innings. And the Cardinals, helped mightily by a throwing error that led to three unearned runs in the sixth, stopped a losing streak at three games with a 4-1 victory before a dismal paid crowd of 6,585 at Marlins Park.
Wacha traversed his six innings on just 75 pitches and walked only two while striking out four as his fastball, which touched 95 mph, his cutter and his changeup all played. He recorded 12 of his 18 outs on ground balls as he gained his fourth win in six decisions.
After John Gant allowed one run in two innings of relief, Jordan Hicks posted his 13th save in 14 tries with a scoreless ninth, featuring some 101 mph fastballs and a killer slider.
Injured Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina had stressed before Monday night's game the need for the Cardinals to play more "little ball." It didn't get much smaller than what happened in the sixth inning, perpetrated by the smallest player on the field, 5-foot-7 Kolten Wong.
After Paul Goldschmidt singled and Marcell Ozuna walked to lead off the inning in a game the Cardinals led 1-0, Wong, though hitting fifth in the lineup, dropped a bunt some 20 feet up the third-base line. Miami catcher Jorge Alfaro tracked the ball down quickly but fired over the head of first baseman Garrett Cooper and both Goldschmidt and Ozuna scored, with Wong going to third.
Harrison Bader's sacrifice fly to deep center made it a three-run inning on just one hit as the Cardinals bumped their lead to 4-0.
