A matchup at home against faltering Miami appeared to be a perfect Sunday scenario for Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez.
Appearances can be deceiving. Martinez performed poorly in taking a loss that lowered his record to 12-5. He allowed five runs - though only one was earned - on seven hits in five innings. He walked none and whiffed five.
Martinez settled down after two singles resulted in a run in the first inning. But he did not rise to the occasion in the fifth when an error put two men on with nobody out. He yielded a three-run triple to Derek Dietrich that turned a 3-2 lead into a 5-3 deficit.
It marked just his second loss since June 17.