Carlos is the closer of the day as Cardinals hold off Nationals

For the third time in three games at Washington, the Cardinals turned to a third different reliever for a save situation, asking Martinez to handle two innings on the way to a 7-6 victory Wednesday at Nationals Park. Martinez struck out four, including two of the final three batters he faced in the ninth inning with the tying run in scoring position. Two days after Bud Norris lost his footing in the ninth and 24 hours after rookie Jordan Hicks got his sixth save, the Cardinals brought their presumptive ace in for his first save since 2014 and his first turn as preventative closer.