Pirates 7, Cardinals 1
ST. LOUIS -- Gerrit Cole pitched the Pittsburgh Pirates to their first series win in Busch Stadium since April 2013.
Checking the St. Louis Cardinals on two hits over seven shutout innings, Cole bounced back from a rough outing in his previous start by recording a 7-1 victory Sunday night, cutting St. Louis' National League Central lead to 5 1/2 games.
Cole (16-8) walked three and fanned seven as Pittsburgh (81-54) reversed a trend that saw the Pirates go 4-18 in their previous 22 games at Busch Stadium. Pittsburgh lost its prior seven series at St. Louis.
Cole even helped himself with a two-out RBI single to center in the top of the seventh, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Pittsburgh broke it open with a power surge in the last two innings. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez knocked out Cardinals starter John Lackey (11-9) with his 16th homer, a solo shot to left-center in the eighth.
Three batters later, first baseman Sean Rodriguez cracked a two-run blast, his fourth of the year, for a 5-0 lead. Left fielder Starling Marte capped the Pirates' scoring with a two-run homer, his 16th, in the ninth.
Lackey lasted 7 1/3 innings, yielding 10 hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts. St. Louis (87-49) broke up the Pirates' shutout bid when pinch-hitter Cody Stanley grounded an RBI single to center in the ninth off Joakim Soria.
Pittsburgh started the scoring in the top of the fourth when second baseman Neil Walker looped a two-out RBI single to right-center, driving in right fielder Gregory Polanco.
The Pirates left the bases loaded that inning on a flyout to center by first baseman Pedro Alvarez, then wiped out a first-and-third, one-out opportunity in the fifth when Marte bounced into a double play.
St. Louis didn't touch Cole for a hit until center fielder Jon Jay's soft liner barely eluded Walker with one out in the fifth.
A two-out, broken-bat blooper by third baseman Matt Carpenter advanced Jay to third, but Cole induced a fielder's choice grounder to keep the Cardinals off the board.
NOTES: St. Louis activated OF Randal Grichuk (strained right elbow) from the 15-day disabled list, but he won't be able to hit or throw for a few days. Grichuk was sidelined since Aug. 17. ... Pittsburgh RHP A.J. Burnett (right elbow inflammation) threw a bullpen session Sunday, but there is no timetable for his return. Burnett went on the DL on July 31 after giving up 19 runs over 16 innings in his first three starts after the All-Star break. ... Cardinals RHP Jordan Walden (right biceps inflammation) will miss the rest of the season and likely will need surgery to avoid a lengthy rehab period, according to GM John Mozeliak.