The Miami Marlins continued their hot stretch Friday night with a 4-0 shutout victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, powered by another commanding performance from right-hander Max Meyer.
Meyer delivered one of his sharpest outings of the season, allowing just two hits over seven scoreless innings while improving to a perfect 9-0 on the year. One of the few blemishes against him was a bunt single, but otherwise he controlled the game from start to finish. He struck out five, walked two, and remained the only qualified starter in Major League Baseball without a loss this season. With the win, Meyer also tied Livan Hernández’s franchise mark for the best start to a season in Marlins history at 9-0.
Meyer, who had just been reinstated from the bereavement list before the start, showed no signs of rust. The right-hander mixed pitches efficiently and kept St. Louis off balance throughout his seven innings of work.
The Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy also pitched well in defeat, throwing six scoreless innings while limiting Miami to five hits. He struck out four and walked just one, erasing early trouble and matching zeros deep into the game after allowing five earned runs in his previous outing at Kansas City.
Rain briefly interrupted the night, causing a 27-minute delay, but the Marlins’ offense eventually broke through in the late innings.
Miami finally cracked the scoreboard in the eighth inning. Esteury Ruiz sparked the rally with a leadoff single and quickly swiped second base. Graham Pauley then delivered the key blow, lining a fastball down the first-base line for a run-scoring double on an 0-2 pitch. Pauley, recently recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville, helped shift momentum firmly in Miami’s favor.
After two walks loaded the bases, Kyle Stowers added another run-producing opportunity with a grounder to first. The Cardinals attempted a force play at home involving Alec Burleson, but after review, the call was overturned, allowing Miami to extend its lead.
Reliever George Soriano (3-2) worked through late-game pressure but allowed two runs as Miami continued to build separation in the final frames.
The Marlins sealed the win in the ninth inning when Jakob Marsee delivered a two-out single off Max Rajcic, bringing home the final runs to complete the 4-0 result.
Miami has now won seven of its last eight games and improved to an impressive 17-5 this month, continuing a strong push as the season moves forward. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have dropped six of their last eight as their inconsistency at the plate continues to be a concern.
With Meyer still unbeaten and the bullpen holding firm, the Marlins are quickly building momentum at a critical point in the season.
