Mulder, Wainwright shine in Cards' 6-3 win

JUPITER, Fla. -- Mark Mulder threw three scoreless innings, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-3 win over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

The left-hander allowed one hit, struck out three and walked none.

"Not to jinx myself, but I felt better today than I did in any start last year," Mulder said. "I felt really good. My mechanics feel so much better. I don't care what start you take last year, I felt better today. I felt like I was throwing harder, too."

Mulder went 16-8 with a 3.64 ERA last season, his first with the Cardinals. He fanned Robert Andino and Wes Helms looking Sunday, and got Reggie Abercrombie swinging on some nasty breaking pitches.

"I struck out two of the guys on two sinkers in, looking, and the other was on a splitter," Mulder said. "I didn't make any pitches like that last year. It's just one start. I understand that."

Adam Wainwright followed Mulder and allowed only a single in three innings. He gave up two unearned runs.

The right-hander is competing with Anthony Reyes and Sidney Ponson for the fifth slot in St. Louis' rotation.

The Cardinals scored five times in the third. Larry Bigbie and Scott Spiezio hit back-to-back RBI singles. Brian Daubach's RBI single to center was misplayed into a three-base error.

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CARDINALS 6, MARLINS 3

FLORIDA ST. LOUIS

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Andino ss 3 0 0 1 Eckstein ss 3 1 1 0

Campsno ss 1 1 1 0 Spivey 2b 1 0 0 0

Uggla sb 3 0 0 0 Bigbie lf 4 1 2 1

Randel 2b 1 0 0 1 Gorecki ph-dh 1 0 0 0

Jacobs 1b 3 0 0 0 Spiezio 3b-1b 3 1 1 1

Carroll rf 1 0 0 0 Daubach 1b 3 1 1 1

Willingham c 2 0 0 0 Hanson 3b 1 1 1 1

Wilson c 2 0 0 0 Rodriguez dh 3 0 0 0

Hermida rf 2 0 0 0 Luna 2b-ss 4 0 2 1

Seabol 1b 2 0 0 0 Taguchi cf 3 0 0 0

Helms 3b 2 0 0 0 Bennetter c 3 0 0 0

Fulton 3b 2 0 0 0 Hernandez c 1 0 0 0

Olivo dh 2 0 0 0 Schumaker rf 3 1 1 0

Kinkde ph-dh 1 0 0 0

Ceicky lf 2 0 0 0

Ashby lf 1 0 0 0

Abrcrmbie cf 2 1 1 0

Miller cf 1 0 0 0

Totals 33 3 3 2 Totals 33 6 9 5

Florida 000 002 010 -- 3

St. Louis 005 000 10x -- 6

E--Abercrombie, Jacobs, Seabol, Hanson, Luna. DP--Florida 1. LOB--Florida 3, St. Louis 8. 3B-- Campusano. HR--Hanson. SB--Abercrombie, Luna. CS--Cepicky.

IP H R ER BB SO

Florida

Miltre 2 0 0 0 0 1

Petit, L 2-3 3 5 5 2 0

Bostick 1-3 1 0 0 2 0

Borowski 1 1 0 0 1 1

Tankersley 1 0 0 0 0 0

Carlyle 2 3 1 1 0 3

Messenger 1 1 0 0 0 1

St. Louis

Mulder, W 3 1 0 0 0 3

Wainwright 3 1 2 0 0 0

Benes 1 0 0 0 0 1

Cali 1 1 1 1 0 0

Voyles 1 0 0 0 0 1

T--2:36. A--6,288.