ST. LOUIS (AP) — Max Meyer gave up two hits in seven innings, leading the Miami Marlins over the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 on Friday night to improve his record to 9-0.
The Marlins scored two runs in the eighth when Graham Pauley and Kyle Stowers each drove in a run. Jakob Marsee's two-out single off Max Rajcic in the ninth scored the final two runs.
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Miami Marlins' Esteury Ruiz, right, scores past St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera, left, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Miami Marlins' Graham Pauley, left, scores ahead of the tag from St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Miami has won seven of its last eight games and is 17-5 this month. The Cardinals have lost six of their last eight.
Meyer, who was reinstated from the bereavement list before the start, struck out five and walked two. One of the hits against him was a bunt.
Meyer remains the only qualified starter in the majors without a loss this season. He tied Livan Hernández (9-0 in 1997) for the best record to open a season in Marlins history.
The game was delayed by rain for 27 minutes.
Reliever George Soriano (3-2) gave up two runs.
St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy pitched six scoreless innings. He limited the Marlins to five hits with a walk and struck out four. In his previous start, he gave up five earned runs in five innings at Kansas City.
Miami broke the scoreless game in the eighth. Esteury Ruiz, who had two hits, led off with a single and stole second. Pauley hit a 0-2 fastball down the first-base line for a run-scoring double. Pauley was recalled prior to the game from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Two walks loaded the bases. Stowers hit a grounder to first. Alec Burleson touched first and then threw home. Pauley was called out but that was challenged and overturned.
Neither team has announced a starter for Saturday’s game.
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Miami Marlins' Esteury Ruiz, right, scores past St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera, left, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Miami Marlins' Graham Pauley, left, scores ahead of the tag from St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Friday, June 26, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Norway striker Erling Haaland and nine of the team's other regular starters needed rest more than a first-place finish in their World Cup group.
“It’s a no-brainer," coach Ståle Solbakken said Friday after a 4-1 loss to France left the Norwegians in second place in the group. "The fans around Norway and also in the arena would have liked to see Erling. But that is not really the issue. We want to proceed as long as we can in the tournament.”
Already in the knockout round but with a chance to win the group with a victory over France on Friday, Solbakken decided to rest 10 of the players who started the previous game. France, which won the World Cup in 2018 and lost in the final four years ago, took a 3-1 lead on Ousmane Dembélé's first-half hat trick, and earned a round of 32 matchup with a third-place team.
“I would lie if I said that I wasn’t a little bit surprised, for sure,” France defender Jules Koundé said. “No matter which player we have in front of us, we are always trying to do our best and win. We wanted to finish first on the table and that’s what we did, so pretty happy about it.”
Norway would have needed to beat France to win the group because they trailed on goal difference heading into the match. Instead, Norway will next face the Ivory Coast, also second-place finisher, on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Solbakken said the team's short break after Monday's victory over Senegal convinced him it was more important to rest his regulars than go for the victory. Among the changes, Egil Selvik was in goal in place of Orjan Nyland against France's regular lineup.
“I think it’s smart,” midfielder Patrick Berg said. “It’s hopefully for us a long tournament. So being able to rest somebody and at the same time give somebody — who has been here for some weeks now, training really hard — give them the opportunity to perform against one of the best teams, I think it was a win-win situation for us.”
Haaland, a Manchester City forward who has been the Premier League's leading scorer three of the last four seasons, entered the day with four World Cup goals, tied for second with Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and France’s Kylian Mbappé, and trailing only Argentina's Lionel Messi.
But Norwegian fans who spent thousands to travel to the United States and even more for their match tickets were deprived of seeing one of the World Cup's star attractions.
“I feel this consideration,” Solbakken said. “But we have given them a couple of victories, and we are giving them an opportunity to watch more games ... We are here to proceed as long as we can. And I need to make decisions to proceed as long as possible.”
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Norway's Erling Haaland (9), foreground, and his teammates sing the national anthem before the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland, left, greet each other before the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Norway's Erling Haaland and Martin Oedegaard, right, take their seats on the bench before during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Norway's Erling Haaland applauds at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Norway's Erling Haaland and France's Desire Doue, left, shake hands at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Norway's Erling Haaland exercises with his team during a training session in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Norway's Erling Haaland exercises with his team during a training session in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
