BASEBALL: Max Meyer extends unbeaten run as Marlins blank Cards

Max Meyer allowed two hits in seven innings to win his ninth consecutive decision to start the season, Jakob Marsee singled in two runs and the visiting Miami Marlins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 on Friday.

Max Meyer (9-0) issued two walks and struck out five in the opener of a three-game series. He remains the only qualified starter in the major leagues without a loss this season.

Michael Petersen and Calvin Faucher each pitched a scoreless inning to help Miami record its third shutout this month. The Marlins won their third straight game and improved to a major league-best 17-5 in June.

Miami broke a scoreless tie in the eighth against George Soriano (3-2) on Graham Pauley's RBI double.

Esteury Ruiz singled to begin the eighth and stole second base in front of Pauley, who was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in the day.

After a 27-minute rain delay, the game resumed with Soriano on the mound. The Marlins loaded the bases with one out before Kyle Stowers grounded into an apparent inning-ending double play, but the out call at the plate was overturned on review and Pauley was ruled safe.

The Marlins added two runs in the ninth against Max Rajcic. With runners on second and third and one out, Marsee lined a single to center field to make it 4-0.

St. Louis has lost three straight and six of its last eight. The Cardinals received a strong outing from starter Michael McGreevy, who limited the Marlins to five hits over six scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out four.

The Cardinals were held to a pair of singles through six innings before loading the bases with one out in the seventh. Meyer escaped unscathed when Masyn Winn grounded into a forceout and Nathan Church lined out to left field.

Meyer tied Livan Hernandez (9-0 in 1997) for the best record to open a season in Marlins history, and his 17-game streak without a loss is the longest streak in franchise history.

-Field Level Media/Reuters