Yadier Molina went 2-for-3 with a key RBI, leading the St. Louis Cardinals past the host Miami Marlins 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Molina has five RBIs in five games this season, including three in two contests against the Marlins. The Cardinals will go for a three-game series sweep against Miami on Wednesday afternoon.

Center fielder Dylan Carlson slugged a solo homer in the ninth to pad St. Louis' lead.

The Cardinals overcame an impressive pitching performance by Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara (0-1), who tied his career high with 10 strikeouts.

Alcantara, a former Cardinals pitcher, struck out six straight batters between the second and fourth innings. He went six innings and allowed two walks, four hits and three runs (two earned).

Cardinals starter John Gant lasted just four innings, striking out four and allowing four hits, three walks and one run (unearned). He was lifted after throwing 82 pitches.

St. Louis got some good relief pitching, most notably from Giovanny Gallegos, who struck out the side in the seventh. Alex Reyes got the final four outs for his second save in this series.

Miami finished a meager 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper, who missed Monday's game due to a bad reaction from his vaccine shot, went 0-for-1 with three walks and one run scored.

Miami opened scoring in the first when Corey Dickerson singled and scored on a two-error play by Cardinals left fielder Tyler O'Neill. First, O'Neil failed to handle Starling Marte's 110-mph line drive right at him. O'Neill then threw wildly to third, allowing Dickerson to score.

The Marlins loaded the bases with no outs in the third but failed to score as Adam Duvall struck out, Brian Anderson popped out, and Jazz Chisholm struck out.

Miami made it 2-0 in the fifth. Cooper walked and advanced one base each time on singles by Duvall and Anderson. Cooper scored on Chisholm's sacrifice fly to O'Neill, who made a diving catch.

St. Louis took a 3-2 lead in the sixth. The Cardinals loaded the bases with none out as Tommy Edman and Paul Goldschmidt singled and Nolan Arenado walked.

The Cardinals got their first run on Jorge Alfaro's passed ball, which was coincidentally how they scored their first run in Monday's game. Paul DeJong's RBI ground out tied the score, and St. Louis grabbed the lead on Molina's sacrifice fly.

Cardinals reliever Tyler Webb entered the game in the eighth, and he allowed Chisholm's leadoff double down the third-base line. Webb got the next two outs before the Cards brought in Reyes. Dickerson then hit a drive to left-center, where Carlson ran it down.

Reyes then worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

--Field Level Media