Bourjos, Cardinals hold off Phillies

ST. LOUIS -- Peter Bourjos hit a game-tying RBI triple, then scored the go-ahead run by beating the throw home on an infield tapper to fuel a four-run fifth inning in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.

Carlos Martinez (3-0) allowed two runs in six innings and Matt Adams doubled twice with an RBI.

Ryan Howard hit his 20th career homer against St. Louis, 11 coming in his hometown, and Odubel Herrera had two hits and an RBI. Aaron Harang (2-2) surrendered five runs in six innings, ending a career-best run of eight consecutive quality starts dating to last September.

Bourjos entered 7 for 15 against Harang with a homer and four RBIs, no doubt factoring into his second start considering he was just 1 for 10 on the season. The center fielder made a nice running catch to rob Chase Utley of extra bases and an RBI to end the seventh.

Howard's throw home on Matt Carpenter's grounder to first base was not quick enough to catch Bourjos, who slid in ahead of catcher Carlos Ruiz's tag. The Phillies unsuccessfully challenged the call.

Adams and Jhonny Peralta added RBIs later in the inning. Kolten Wong had a two-out RBI single in the second to give St. Louis the early lead.

Howard hit his fourth homer in the fourth, a drive just over the fence into the home bullpen in right that gave him 39 RBIs in 33 career games in St. Louis. He grounded out his other three at-bats against an over-shifted defense, each time to Wong, the second baseman, standing in shallow right field.

Trevor Rosenthal earned his eighth save in eight chances for the NL Central leaders.

Up next

Phillies: David Buchanan has lost all four starts this year and was 0-3 in his last nine starts last season with his last win on Aug. 6. During the 13-game drought he's thrown seven quality starts.

Cardinals: LHP Tim Cooney takes injured Adam Wainwright's spot in the rotation and will be making his major league debut. The 24-year-old Cooney, who grew up in a Philadelphia suburb rooting for the Phillies, is 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Memphis.

Trainer's room

Phillies: OF Domonic Brown reported to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the end of a rehab assignment for a left Achilles injury.

Cardinals: OF Randal Grichuk, on the DL since April 17 with a lower back strain, has participated in pre-game activities all three games in the series.

Control room

Phillies pitchers entered the game with a major league-high 86 walks, but they issued just two on Wednesday -- both to Matt Holliday.