Pirates 5, Cardinals 3
Pedro Alvarez and Russell Martin delivered RBI singles in the eighth inning as host Pittsburgh moved within one win of capturing the National League Division Series.
Alvarez greeted left-handed reliever Kevin Siegrist with a tiebreaking single to right field that plated pinch runner Josh Harrison as the Pirates took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series - with Game 4 set for Monday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Martin and Marlon Byrd each drove in a pair of runs and Jason Grilli worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to nail down his first save.
Carlos Beltran continued his postseason heroics for St. Louis by driving in all three runs with a two-run single in the fifth inning and a tying homer in the eighth off Mark Melancon (1-0). Carlos Martinez (0-1) was charged with two runs while retiring only one of the three batters he faced for the Cardinals, who fell to 3-8 in Pittsburgh this season.
A throwing error by St. Louis shortstop Pete Kozma in the first inning put two runners in scoring position, and Byrd plated them both with a two-out single for a 2-0 edge. The Cardinals pulled even against a laboring Francisco Liriano in the fifth, executing a double steal before Beltran singled up the middle.
Pittsburgh went back on top in the sixth, loading the bases against Joe Kelly on two walks and Byrd's double before Martin lifted a sacrifice fly against reliever Seth Maness. Beltran responded in the eighth with a leadoff shot off Melancon, the first homer by a St. Louis player in 13 games at PNC Park and just the second blast surrendered by Melancon this season.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Liriano gave up two runs on three hits in six innings, while Kelly was charged with three runs (two earned) on five hits in 5 1/3 frames. ... Beltran's homer was his 16th in postseason play, moving him past Babe Ruth for eighth place on the all-time list. His three RBIs gave him six in the series and 31 in 37 playoff games. ... Byrd joined Bob Robertson (1970-71) as the only Pirates to drive in five runs in their first four postseason games. ... Pittsburgh sends RHP Charlie Morton to the mound to oppose Cardinals rookie RHP Michael Wacha in Game 4.