Cardinals ace Wainwright gets KO'd in the fifth inning by the red-hot Rays

ST. LOUIS -- Jake Odorizzi allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings and Yunel Escobar highlighted a five-run fifth inning with a two-run double to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright, making his first appearance since starting for the NL in the All-Star game, gave up six runs, four earned, in 4 2/3 innings. Wainwright (12-5) was trying to become the first 13-game winner in the NL.

He walked four and hit a batter in his second-shortest outing of the season. He allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 9-4 loss to San Francisco on May 30.

Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday hit solo home runs for the Cardinals.

It was the Rays' season-high sixth straight win. They have outscored the opposition 36-11 during the run.

Evan Longoria added a solo homer in the ninth for Tampa Bay.

The Rays, who had just two hits in the big fifth inning, won their seventh straight road game, one shy of tying the franchise record.

Odorizzi (6-8), pitching 33 miles from his hometown of Highland, Illinois, for the first time in his career, gave up a leadoff homer to Carpenter in the first before settling down.

Odorizzi gave up five hits, struck out eight and walked three in improving to 4-1 over his last seven starts. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 15 of 20 starts this season.

The Rays sent 10 batters to the plate in chasing Wainwright in the fifth. Matt Joyce broke a 1-1 tie with a run-scoring double. Wainwright, who walked three, hit a batter and committed a costly error in the inning, walked James Loney one batter later with the bases loaded. Escobar followed with a ground-rule double to push the lead to 5-1.

Odorizzi, in his first major league at-bat, executed a perfect squeeze bunt in the second to tie the game. He had more than 150 friends and family in the stands with three busloads of fans making the trip.

Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected in the third inning by home plate umpire Mark Ripperger. Maddon was arguing a called third strike on Ben Zobrist from the dugout. It was Maddon's fourth ejection of the season and 36th with the Rays.

Noteworthy

* Carpenter's homer leading off the game was his second of the season and fourth of his career. It broke an 0-for-13 skid.

* Struggling St. Louis outfielder Allen Craig started consecutive games for the first time since July 5.

* Tampa Bay is making only its second trip to St. Louis. The Cardinals won two of three from the Rays May 16-18, 2008.

* Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn (11-6, 3.13) will face pitcher Alex Cobb (5-6, 4.08) in the finale of the two-game series today.

* Odorizzi is second among AL rookies with 124 strikeouts.

* Maddon batted Odorizzi eighth in the batting order to keep outfielder Kevin Kiermaier in the No. 9 hole. Kiermaier is 12 for 23 in his last eight games.