Cardinals homer in 14th straight game, beat Dodgers 5-2

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Yadier Molina and Marcell Ozuna slugged two-run homers, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Tuesday night to improve to a major league-best 16-4 in August.

The Cardinals have homered in 14 straight games. They won the opener 5-3 on consecutive ninth-inning homers by Jedd Gyorko and Matt Carpenter. The victory clinched their eighth consecutive series, equaling their longest streak since April 10-May 7, 2015.

St. Louis climbed to 2 ½ games back of the NL Central-leading Cubs.

St. Louis Cardinals’ Marcell Ozuna, right, hits a two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, left, and home plate umpire Jim Wolf watch during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Jose Martinez tied it with an RBI single in the third. Molina followed with a two-run shot to right center to make it 3-1, snapping an 0-for-17 skid and leaving him one hit shy of his 11th straight season with 100 or more.

With two outs in the seventh, Daniel Hudson hit Tyler O’Neill, setting the stage for Ozuna’s two-run homer that extended the Cardinals’ lead to 5-1.

The Dodgers’ runs came in the second when Daniel Poncedeleon hit Yasiel Puig with the bases loaded and in the seventh on Manny Machado’s 29th homer.

In his second major league start, Poncedeleon allowed one run and five hits in four innings. He struck out a career-high eight and walked one pitching not far from his hometown of Anaheim.

Cardinals reliever Carlos Martinez got hit in the upper body by a comebacker from Joc Pederson in the eighth. Martinez was knocked down and writhed on the ground as his teammates and a trainer ran to him. He soon got up and walked off under his own power as the inning ended.

Defensively, the Cardinals had a series of miscues in the outfield, all of them involving right fielder O’Neill.

He collided with second baseman Kolten Wong as they chased Yasmani Grandal’s single in the second. On the next play, O’Neill dived and badly missed a single by Chris Taylor that loaded the bases for the Dodgers.

Also in the second, center fielder Harrison Bader clearly called for a high fly ball hit by Pederson, but O’Neill came charging in with his glove in the air. Bader still managed to make the catch.

In the fifth, Bader caught Justin Turner’s long fly to right center but came dangerously close to colliding with O’Neill, who had his hands on his hips looking at Bader.

Luke Weaver (7-11) got the victory, allowing one run and three hits in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

Bud Norris pitched the ninth for his 26th save.

Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1) gave up three runs and four hits in four innings, struck out four and walked one.

The loss dropped the Dodgers 3 1/2 games behind the NL West-leading Diamondbacks, the farthest Los Angeles has been out of first place since July 1. The Dodgers fell to 32-32 at home.

KOLTEN LOOKS GOLDEN

Wong made a stellar play for the first out of the ninth inning. The second baseman laid out in shallow center field for Turner’s grounder, then pushed his upper body off the ground just long enough to wing the ball to first base before falling back to the outfield grass.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Activated RHP Carlos Martinez (right shoulder strain) from DL and optioned INF Patrick Wisdom to Triple-A Memphis. … Transferred OF Dexter Fowler to 60-day DL.

Dodgers: RHP JT Chargois went on the DL with nerve irritation. He experienced tingling in his fingers while tossing six pitches in the fifth inning a night earlier. … RHP Ross Stripling will throw a simulated game Friday.

UP NEXT

LHP Jack Flaherty (7-6, 3.05 ERA) starts the series finale for the Cardinals. Rookie RHP Walker Buehler (6-4, 3.19) goes for the Dodgers.

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St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Tyler O'Neill, left, and center fielder Harrison Bader collide after Bader caught a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers' Joc Pederson during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Tyler O’Neill, left, and center fielder Harrison Bader collide after Bader caught a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Tyler O'Neill can't get to a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers' Chris Taylor during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Tyler O’Neill can’t get to a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals' Kolten Wong scores on a single by Jose Martinez during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals’ Kolten Wong scores on a single by Jose Martinez during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Tyler O'Neill, right, collides with center fielder Harrison Bader as he makes a catch on a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers' Justin Turner during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Tyler O’Neill, right, collides with center fielder Harrison Bader as he makes a catch on a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, of South Korea, stick his tongue out as he gets out of the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, of South Korea, stick his tongue out as he gets out of the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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