The Phillies' Chase Utley hits a single against the Cardinals Thursday in Philadelphia. St. Louis won 4-3.
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - Carlos Beltran hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth, Adam Wainwright pitched seven solid innings and the St. Louis Cardinals escaped a ninth-inning jam for a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday night.
Philadelphia put runners at first and third with nobody out against Edward Mujica, but the fill-in closer retired three straight batters to hand the Phillies their fourth consecutive defeat.
Yadier Molina went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Cardinals, who had seven hits one night after getting held to Beltran's seventh-inning double in a 5-0 loss to A.J. Burnett and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wainwright (3-1) wasn't as sharp as his previous start, when he pitched a four-hitter and matched a career high with 12 strikeouts Saturday in an 8-0 win over Milwaukee, but he was still effective.
The right-hander gave up three runs and nine hits while striking out four and walking none. He hasn't walked a batter in 29 innings to start the season.
Beltran broke a 3-all tie with one out in the eighth when he hit an opposite-field homer to left off Mike Adams (0-1).
Mujica wriggled out of trouble in the ninth to convert his first save opportunity. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny chose Mujica over Mitchell Boggs, who has blown two of his four save chances this season. It appeared Mujica would flop, too, but he recovered quickly.
Ben Revere led off the ninth with a single and went to third on Erik Kratz's single to right. Kratz moved up on pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen's groundout to shortstop, but Revere held at third. Jimmy Rollins struck out and Freddy Galvis grounded out to end it.
Phillies ace Cole Hamels, who had a 10.97 ERA through two starts, had a second consecutive strong outing but remained winless through four starts. He allowed three runs and five hits while striking out eight and walking two in seven innings.
Ryan Howard went 3-for-4 for the Phillies. Galvis, playing the outfield for the first time in his career, and Chase Utley each had a pair of hits and an RBI for Philadelphia, which had 13 hits.
The Phillies failed to draw a walk for the fourth consecutive game. Philadelphia, which entered 26th in the majors with 34 walks, is averaging 2.1 per game this season.
In other news Phillies pitcher John Lannan was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained quadriceps tendon in his left knee.
Lannan aggravated the injury during an 11-2 loss to Cincinnati Wednesday.
The Phillies recalled left-hander Joe Savery from Triple-A Lehigh Valley following Thursday's loss.
Savery is 1-0 with 72/3 scoreless innings, 11 strikeouts and no walks.