MIAMI -- Despite what could be a crucial injury to starting pitcher Colin Rea the Miami Marlins rolled to an 11-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night at Marlins Park.
The Marlins' Ichiro Suzuki who needs two hits to reach 3 000 entered the game as a defensive replacement and went 0-for-2 against journeyman reliever Jerome Williams who is with his eighth major league team.
Suzuki who hit a routine flyout in the eighth had his best chance at a hit in the sixth. With runners on second and third and the infield in he grounded out to first.
Rea making his Marlins debut after being acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres left after 3 1/3 innings because of soreness in his right elbow. Rea pitched well retiring 10 of the 11 batters he faced including four on strikeouts. He allowed no runs just a soft single in the third.
But after striking out Jedd Gyorko leading off the fourth inning Rea motioned to the trainer. Rea then left the mound making him the Marlins' second injured starting pitcher. Wei-Yin Chen is already on the disabled list also with an elbow injury.
Reliever David Phelps (5-5) replaced Rea and picked up the win as the Marlins (56-48) tied the Cardinals (56-48) in the race for the second wild-card playoff berth. Miami will go for a split of the four-game series on Sunday.
St. Louis' Jaime Garcia who was 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in five previous starts against the Marlins took the loss. Garcia (7-8) allowed seven hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Miami pounded out 12 hits overall three each by Christian Yelich and Jeff Mathis. Marcell Ozuna had the biggest hit a two-run homer as the Marlins improved to 4-5 on their 10-game homestand that ends Sunday.
The first five batters in Miami's half of the first inning made hard contact starting with Dee Gordon's double that went over the head of Cardinals center fielder Tommy Pham.
Christian Yelich had an RBI double and Giancarlo Stanton hit a run-scoring single before Ozuna hit his two-run blast to left.
It was Ozuna's 19th homer of the season.
Miami made it 8-0 with four runs in the fourth. Jeff Mathis hit another double over the head of Pham scoring when Adeiny Hechavarria's double went off the glove of left fielder Matt Holliday.
The Marlins capped the inning when Martin Prado bounced a two-run double just inside the third-base line and Yelich pulled an RBI single to right.
NOTES: Miami optioned RHP Jose Urena (1-3 6.69 ERA) to Triple-A New Orleans and called up RHP Brian Ellington from the same team. Ellington who had a 0.79 ERA in 11 1/3 innings with the Marlins earlier this season will again work from the bullpen. ... Miami also designated OF Cole Gillespie for assignment. ... Miami RHP Andrew Cashner acquired on Friday in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres is set to make his Marlins debut in Sunday's series finale. St. Louis will counter with RHP Carlos Martinez. ... Cardinals 1B Brandon Moss (sprained left ankle) and 3B Jhonny Peralta (left thumb) are set to return from the disabled list by Tuesday's game at the Cincinnati Reds. ... Cardinals 2B Matt Carpenter (right oblique) will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday at Double-A Springfield. He is due back Friday.
