Cards sweep doubleheader from struggling Blue Jays

Dexter Fowler, Greg Garcia and Matt Adams each had three hits as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-4 on Thursday night to sweep a daynight doubleheader.

The Cardinals won the opener, 8-4, in 11 innings on Matt Carpenter’s grand slam.

St. Louis scored three times in the first inning of the nightcap.

After Fowler and Garcia hit backto-back singles, Matt Carpenter plated a run with a groundout and Stephen Piscotty hit an RBI sacrifice fly. Randal Grichuk followed with an infield single and scored on Matt Adams’ opposite-field double into the left field corner.

Fowler added a solo home run, his third of the season, in the second inning. Matt Adams had an RBI single in the third. Piscotty had an RBI fielder’s choice in the fourth to make it 6-0.

Adam Wainwright (2-3) got the win in the nightcap while Matt Bowman (1-0) won the opener.

Ryan Tepera (1-1) and Casey Lawrence (0-3) took the losses.

In the opener, the Cardinals scored four times off Toronto’s bullpen in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to tie the score, capped by Randal Grichuk’s homer off Roberto Osuna.

Yadier Molina led off with a double and Grichuk connected two outs later, giving Osuna his third blown save.

Mat Latos, making his second start of the season for Toronto, scattered three hits over six shutout innings, striking out four and walking four.

Carlos Martinez allowed three runs on five hits in six innings, with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Russell Martin hit a solo homer in the second, his third of the year. IN THE CROWD Nashville Predators defenceman P.K. Subban, who had a goal and two assists in his team’s 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues in the opener of their second-round playoff series Wednesday night, sat near the Blue Jays’ dugout on his team’s off day.