ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nick Castellanos had a two-run double to stake Philadelphia to an early lead, and the Phillies turned five double plays in a 4-1 win Saturday over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cristopher Sánchez (1-0) allowed eight hits in 6 1/3 innings, but he kept inducing ground balls to get out of trouble. Sanchez struck out three and walked two.
José Alvarado worked a spotless ninth inning for his third save.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (0-2) gave up three runs and three hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two, with both of those runners coming around to score.
Victor Scott II sped into the left-center field gap and dove in an attempt to catch Castellanos’ hard line-drive in the first, but the ball bounced off his glove as Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber came around to score.
The Phillies added runs on Bryson Stott’s RBI double in the fifth and Trea Turner’s two-out single in the seventh.
Willson Contreras drove in the Cardinals’ run in the sixth, when he followed Luken Baker’s double with an RBI single.
Key moment
Sánchez preserved a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Baker grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. The Phillies turned double plays in each of the first three innings.
In the fifth, Stott’s error trying to catch a toss from Turner cost them a chance at another but only for a moment. The next batter, Thomas Saggese, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Philadelphia turned its final double play on Nolan Arenado’s grounder in the eighth.
Key stat
Philadelphia has not lost a series at Busch Stadium since June 2017. Since then, the Phillies have won nine series and tied three.
Up next
Philadelphia RHP Zack Wheeler (1-0, 3.44 ERA) faces Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-1, 5.84) in the series finale.