Cardinals young right-hander Carlos Martinez was excellent against the Pirates on Thursday, as he earned his 10th win of the season. Martinez tossed 7 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out eight in the 4-1 victory.
Martinez (10-3) lowered his ERA to an impressive 2.52 with Thursday's performance. He threw 108 pitches, with 68 going for strikes.
The 23-year-old has been rolling lately. He hasn't allowed more than three earned runs since May 9, and he has a 1.72 ERA over his last seven starts. He is one of the candidates to be the final man added to the National League All-Star team in Cincinnati.