Cardinals 4, Pirates 1
ST. LOUIS -- After perhaps his shakiest outing of the year in his last start, St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia was back in form on Saturday.
Firing seven shutout innings, Garcia lifted St. Louis to a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at sold-out Busch Stadium, restoring the Cardinals' National League Central lead to 6 1/2 games.
Garcia (8-4) gave up four hits, three to right fielder Sean Rodriguez, and walked one while striking out a season-high nine. He fanned the top five hitters in Pittsburgh's lineup seven times, getting second baseman Josh Harrison, shortstop Jordy Mercer and left fielder Starling Marte twice each.
Pirates starter Charlie Morton (8-7) pitched a solid game but fell to 2-11 in his career against the Cardinals. Morton worked six innings, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned). He walked three and struck out three.
Morton put himself in trouble in the bottom of the second inning, though, filling the bases on two walks and a hit batter. Left fielder Stephen Piscotty legged out a two-out infield hit to break the scoring seal and second baseman Josh Harrison's throw skipped past first baseman Michael Morse for an error that plated a second run.
The Pirates (80-54) didn't get a man to third base until the seventh, when Rodriguez doubled and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. But with runners at the corners and two outs, Harrison rapped into a fielder's choice.
Third baseman Matt Carpenter added insurance for St. Louis (87-48) with his 21st homer of the season, a two-run blast off reliever Arquimedes Caminero into the Pittsburgh bullpen in left center, in its half of the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez poked an RBI single to left center with two outs in the ninth for Pittsburgh. The Pirates got the tying run to the plate, but pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco fanned for the third out.
NOTES: St. Louis 1B Matt Adams (right quad), who suffered a setback in rehab last week after he discovered his left leg needed strengthening, hopes to return before the season ends. Adams has been disabled since May 27. ... Pittsburgh collected two hits from pinch-hitters Friday night, making it 6-for-8 with three RBIs off the bench this month. The Pirates' .249 pinch-hit average is fourth in the National League. ... Cardinals OF Randal Grichuk (right elbow) is supposed to see a doctor to see whether he can begin throwing again. Grichuk has been on the disabled list since Aug. 17 after injuring himself on a throw.