MIAMI (AP) — Yuli Gurriel knew he could make it home from first base as soon as he saw pitcher Jordan Hicks' throw sail past first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and roll outside the right field foul line.
The errant throw by the Cardinals reliever allowed Gurriel to score from first with one out in the ninth inning Wednesday night, and the Miami Marlins rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-9.
With Gurriel on first after a single and pinch-runner Garrett Hampson on second, Joey Wendle hit a dribbler back to Hicks (1-5). The pitcher's high, errant throw got past Goldschmidt to allow both runners to score.
“I knew that Hampson was going to score," Gurriel said, "and I was able to perceive that it was a really high throw. Just got to go for it.”
The Cardinals took their first lead of the game when Jordan Walker blasted a two-run homer 444 feet to left center off Marlins closer A.J. Puk (4-2) in the ninth to make it 9-8.
St. Louis came from behind to tie the game twice — once in the third and again in the fourth — before Bryan De La Cruz put Miami ahead 7-6 in the sixth with an RBI double.
“For us, we have to be able to close that game out," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We continue to give up too many runs to win ballgames at the big league level. That needs to get better – quickly.”
Garrett Cooper made it a two-run lead in the sixth with a single, which was needed, as the Cardinals cut the deficit to one run in the seventh with an RBI double from Willson Contreras that scored Nolan Arenado.
“You don’t expect to win one like that,” Wendle said, “but I think with the fight that we have and the way that we continue to fight hard ... it’s been fun.”
Arenado doubled three times, including a two-run double in a five-run third inning that tied it at 5.
The Marlins had squandered a five-run lead built after chasing Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore in the first inning with five hits, a walk and four runs.
Luis Arraez led off the first with a double, Soler singled and De La Cruz singled to drive in Arraez. Cooper had a two-run double, Gurriel walked, and Dane Myers added an RBI.
Right-hander Dakota Hudson, who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis earlier Wednesday, replaced Liberatore after just seven batters and retired Stallings and Jon Berti to stop the onslaught at 4-0.
Jean Segura made it 5-0 in the second when he drew a bases-loaded walk.
In the third, Arenado and Contreras hit back-to-back two-run doubles, and Nolan Gorman tied it with a two-run blast to center field for his 17th home run of the season.
Miami starter Bryan Hoeing allowed five hits, five runs, struck out three and walked three in three innings.
Jacob Stallings homered in the third, giving Miami a short-lived 6-5 lead, which the Cardinals tied in the fourth.
Segura was ejected from the game by home plate umpire Jeff Nelson after disagreeing on a called third strike in the seventh.
STRONG START
One day after making his major league debut, rookie outfielder Myers made one of the biggest plays of the game. Myers robbed Arenado of an extra base and a potential go-ahead run in the fourth when he caught the ball before slamming into the fence at center. Myers also had a base hit and an RBI Wednesday. The 27-year old was called up from Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday and had his first major league base hit with an RBI single on Tuesday.
SEASON LOW
The loss put the Cardinals 16 games under .500, which matches a season low. St. Louis was 16 games under on June 16 amid a six-game losing streak. This is the Cardinals’ slowest start to a season since beginning 35-50 in 1990. The Cardinals blew their 18th save opportunity of the season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cardinals: Center fielder Tommy Edman was a late scratch with right wrist discomfort but came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning.
UP NEXT
Marlins RHP Eury Perez (5-6, 4.82) will take the mound against RHP Jack Flaherty (5-5, 4.60) for the Cardinals in Thursday's series finale.
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