NEW YORK (AP) - Cardinals ace Carlos Martinez put on a historically uneven performance, walking a career-high eight while striking out 11 and handing CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees a 3-2 win Saturday.
The Yankees won their sixth straight despite tying a team record by fanning 17 times. They got plenty of help from sloppy St. Louis, which at 3-8 is off to its worst start in 20 years and has the poorest record in the NL.
Martinez's misadventures on the mound - he also airmailed a tapper to the backstop and threw a wild pitch - stood in sharp contrast to Sabathia (2-0), who took a shutout into the eighth. Jedd Gyorko and Stephen Piscotty homered late for St. Louis.
Martinez (0-2) couldn't be touched at the start, and not always to his benefit. Of the first 12 batters, none put the ball in play. The All-Star righty became the first pitcher in 60 years with at least six strikeouts and six walks through two innings, the Elias Sports Bureau said.
Not until Jacoby Ellsbury hit a leadoff single in the third, on Martinez's 62nd pitch, did the Yankees give the Cardinals defense a chance. Often twisting and contorting when he missed the strike zone, Martinez was pulled after 5 1/3 innings.
Martinez was the first pitcher since Randy Johnson in 1993 with at least eight walks and 11 strikeouts in a game. Three St. Louis relievers finished, and by the end, every New York batter had fanned.
It was hardly the kind of pitching that gave the Cardinals their last win in the Bronx. That came in Game 5 of the 1964 World Series, when Bob Gibson threw all 10 innings and struck out 13. St. Louis is 0-5 in interleague play at the Yankees since.
New York got help in scoring twice in the sixth for a 3-0 lead. Ronald Torreyes led off with a routine fly that dropped for a double when the Cardinals lost it in the sun. Martinez later barehanded a comebacker and overthrow catcher Yadier Molina, trying to get Torreyes at the plate.
Jedd Gyorko homered with one out in the St. Louis eighth and finished Sabathia, who gave up three hits. The big lefty exited to loud ovation, exiting with a 1.47 ERA after three starts.
Sabathia earned his 225th victory, moving past Hall of Famers Catfish Hunter and Jim Bunning for 66th on the career list. Tyler Clippard got his first save despite Piscotty's home run, striking out Randal Grichuk with two on to end it.
NUMBERS
St. Louis fielders had only one assist, the first time that's happened for the Cardinals in a game since 1969. ... All players, majors, coaches and umpires across the majors wore No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day, and his number is retired by every club. The Yankees and the Cardinals are the only clubs in the big leagues who also have retired 42 for one of their own players - relievers Mariano Rivera of the Yanks and Bruce Sutter of the Cards.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-2, 7.00 ERA) pitches vs. the Yankees for the first time in the Sunday night game. Has 134 career wins, tied with Dizzy Dean for sixth on the all-time Cardinals list.
Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (1-1, 3.97) took a perfect game into the seventh inning in his last start vs. Tampa Bay. He has never faced the Cardinals.
VIDEO
Cardinals vs. Yankees highlights