CLEVELAND (AP) -- Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer off reliever Marc Rzepczynski in the eighth inning after Cleveland replaced starter Trevor Bauer, rallying the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 win over the Indians on Thursday.
Bauer blanked St. Louis on four hits over 7 1-3 innings before giving up a one-out walk. Indians manager Terry Francona brought in the left-handed Rzepczynski (1-1) to face Carpenter, a lefty, who had struck out in his three previous at-bats.
Carpenter drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right-center to help the Cardinals win the series after being overpowered by Corey Kluber on Wednesday night.
 
Carpenter's homer in 8th lifts Cardinals over Indians 2-1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's the first homer Rzepczysnki has given up to a left-handed hitter since June 12, 2012, when he was with the Cardinals.
Kevin Siegrist (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings, and Trevor Rosenthal put the tying run on with one out in the ninth before striking out pinch-hitter Zach Walters and Jason Kipnis for his 12th save.
Michael Brantley homered for the Indians, who haven't won consecutive games since April 8-9.
Following Kluber's 18-strikeout performance, Bauer fanned 10, allowed just four hits and deserved a better fate. He kicked the dirt on the mound in frustration after walking Peter Bourjos on his 110th pitch, knowing Francona was coming to get him.
Carpenter made things worse with his sixth homer, a shot that helped ease the sting for the Cardinals, who struck out 30 times in two games.
Carpenter recently sat out a three-game series in Pittsburgh with what the Cardinals described as "extreme fatigue." Carpenter had been dizzy and light-headed in the days leading up to staying behind when the team traveled.
Brantley snapped a scoreless tie with his fourth homer to open the sixth against Michael Wacha, who settled in after two shaky innings and gave up five hits in five-plus innings.
The Indians had other scoring chances, but had three runners thrown out, including two on rundowns between third and home.
Cleveland's hitters made Wacha work, forcing him to throw 59 pitches in the first two innings. However, the Indians wasted a one-out triple by Michael Bourn in the second with a poorly executed bunt by Jose Ramirez. Bourn broke late on the apparent squeeze and got tagged out in a rundown.
St. Louis didn't fare any better against Bauer, who followed Kluber's gem with his best since holding Houston without a hit for six innings in his season debut.
 

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