Holliday, Westbrook help Cards top Phils
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Matt Holliday cracked a three-run home run to back 7 2/3 stellar innings from Jake Westbrook, and the St. Louis Cardinals topped the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1, in the middle test of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
Carlos Beltran had an RBI single and Allen Craig went 3-for-5 with two runs scored for the defending World Series champs, who had lost three of their previous four entering play on Saturday.
Westbrook (12-8) threw 62 of his 93 pitches for strikes and allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. The righty also threw 16 ground ball outs. Marc Rzepczynski got the final out in the eighth and Jason Motte closed it out in the ninth for his 26th save of the year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Jake was as good as I think we've seen him," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "You could tell that his sinker was really falling off the table, getting the guys to swing over it and lots of ground balls. There was a lot of action in the infield and the guys made the plays for him."
Cliff Lee (2-7) was tagged for four runs on 10 hits over seven-plus innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Lee remains winless at home this season and hasn't secured a victory at Citizens Bank Park since September 5, 2011.
"I thought for the first five innings tonight, he was really good," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of Lee's outing. "The sixth inning kind of got him though. We didn't get him any runs."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ryan Howard drove in the only run of the night for the Phillies, who won the opener of this series on the strength of eight solid innings from ace Roy Halladay.
The Phils picked up a run in their first at-bat when Domonic Brown coaxed a one-out walk and Chase Utley singled. Howard then grounded into a fielder's choice, which allowed Brown to score.
The Cardinals finally got to Lee in the sixth to take the lead. John Jay started the inning by beating out an infield single, and Craig ripped a double off the top of the wall in right. Holliday then crushed one deep to right that just snuck over the wall and into the first row for a three-run shot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Craig and Holliday started the St. Louis eighth with back-to-back base hits, and Beltran lined a base hit to left, scoring Craig and knocking Lee from the game.
Motte retired the side without any trouble in the ninth to secure the win.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Westbrook has won his last five consecutive starts...The Phillies continued to celebrate their alumni weekend on Saturday. Prior to the game, 2012 Hall of Fame inductee and former Phillies catcher Tim McCarver threw out the ceremonial first pitch with Phillies legend Steve Carlton behind the plate...The Phillies fell to 8-4 in their last 12 home games...Holliday snapped an 0-for-12 slump with a first-inning single...Philadelphia fell to 16-8 against the NL Central this season...Philadelphia finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five on base.