D-backs edge Cardinals, extend win streak to four

Christian Walker, Jake Lamb and All-Star Ketel Marte homered to support a good start from Robbie Ray as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Friday night. Ray (7-6) gave up one run on two hits in 6 1/3 innings, with eight strikeouts and two walks.

Walker hit his 18th home run of the season with two outs in the fourth for the first run of the game. Lamb broke a 1-1 tie with two outs in the seventh after the Cardinals pulled starter Daniel Ponce de Leon. The left-handed-hitting Lamb homered on a 1-2 slider from lefty Andrew Miller (3-4) for a 2-1 lead. Marte slugged his team-leading 21st homer with a two-run shot off John Gant in the eighth to make it 4-1. He drove in Domingo Leyba, who led off the inning with a pinch-hit walk.

Arizona closer Greg Holland walked Matt Wieters with two outs in the ninth before striking out Kolten Wong to end the game for his 15th save in 19 opportunities. Cardinals' right-hander Ponce de Leon, who stepped in when Adam Wainwright was a late scratch due to back spasms, went 6 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one run, striking out seven with no walks. Ponce de Leon, who had made three starts in six previous appearances this season, threw a season-high 105 pitches.

Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, playing against his former team for the first time since his offseason trade from the Diamondbacks, went 0-for-4. He struck out looking twice against Ray and bounced out to end the eighth with the tying run at first. The Cardinals had runners on first and second with no outs in the eighth after shortstop Nick Ahmed bobbled a potential double-play grounder and threw late for a potential forceout at second. St. Louis pushed across one run on Paul DeJong's infield single with two outs.

Wieters tied the game at 1 in the fifth when he lined a 3-2 pitch the opposite way just over the wall in right field. It was his sixth home run of the season. Arizona has won four consecutive games. St. Louis has lost three in a row.

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