Carlos Martinez’s development takes a leap forward Tuesday night

2:07 AM ET

PHOENIX — Tuesday night in Arizona was a display of how far Carlos Martinez has come as a pitcher and how deftly catcher Yadier Molina has learned to marshal the young right-hander’s devastating arsenal.

Against a powerful and aggressive Arizona Diamondbacks lineup, Martinez adopted a quieter approach. The change of style was startling even from the intimate viewpoint of the St. Louis Cardinals’ bench. Martinez on the mound is typically a blend of exuberance and good old country hardball.

He attacked them softly on Tuesday, surgically working through Arizona’s lineup for eight shutout innings of the Cardinals’ 8-2 win. He mixed in off-speed pitches early in counts to keep Arizona’s first-pitch fastball hitters frustrated all night.

“They didn’t even hit the ball hard very often and they are a good-hitting team,” Cardinals first baseman Brandon Moss said. “When you do that here that’s impressive. He’s been pitching amazing.”

If you were to line up the ERA’s of the …

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