Cardinals 8, Pirates 5
PITTSBURGH --- Kolten Wong had a three-run home run among his three hits, and Michael Wacha stayed unbeaten as the St. Louis Cardinals kept rolling with an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
Wong's homer, his third of the season for the second baseman, broke the game open as it capped a four-run seventh inning and extended the Cardinals' lead to 8-3.
Wacha (5-0) worked six innings and allowed three runs -- two earned -- and six hits. The right-hander had no walks and one strikeout.
The Cardinals, off to the best start in club history at 22-7, won for the 10th time in their last 11 games and improved to 17-5 against National League Central opponents.
Left fielder Matt Holliday also hit a three-run homer, his second, in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta extended his hitting streak to six games with a long solo home run, his fourth, off the batter's eye in center field in the second inning.
Center fielder Peter Bourjos had a pair of doubles and catcher Yadier Molina also had two of the Cardinals' 11 hits.
Closer Trevor Rosenthal pitched a scoreless ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances.
Francisco Liriano (1-2) struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings but was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- and six hits. Right-hander Arquimedes Caminero relieved Liriano and gave up Wong's home run.
Left fielder Starling Marte had three hits for the Pirates (13-16), who lost for the sixth time in seven games. Second baseman Neil Walker, center fielder Andrew McCutchen and catcher Francisco Cervelli added two hits each to Pittsburgh's 12-hit attack.
McCutchen, who finished third in the NL MVP voting last season, has gone 5-for-8 in the last two games to lift his batting average from .188 to .221.
McCutchen doubled and scored on first baseman Pedro Alvarez's ground out in the sixth to draw the Pirates within 4-3 before the Cardinals pulled away in the next inning.
The Pirates scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, second baseman Neil Walker singling in the first run and the second plated on a double-play grounder by pinch-hitter Corey Hart.
A fielding error by Cardinals third baseman Pete Kozma allowed the Pirates to score a first-inning run.
The Cardinals used a solo home run by Peralta in the second inning and a three-run blast by Holliday in the third to take a 4-1 lead.
The Pirates got a run back in the bottom of the third on Marte's RBI single.
NOTES: Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter did not accompany the team to Pittsburgh and will miss the three-game series because of extreme fatigue. Manager Mike Matheny said Carpenter had an accelerated heart rate and dehydration. Carpenter sat out Thursday's win over the Chicago Cubs at St. Louis, a planned day off after playing in each of St. Louis' first 27 games. ... St. Louis RHP Carlos Martinez (3-0, 3.64 ERA) will start against Pittsburgh RHP Vance Worley (2-2, 3.90) on Saturday night. Martinez has a 1.29 ERA in his two road starts this season while holding opponents to a .167 batting average. The Pirates have been shut out in both of Worley's losses.