Pirates 10, Cardinals 5
ST. LOUIS -- Gregory Polanco's three-run homer off the left field foul pole capped a four-run seventh inning, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 10-5 win Sunday over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Polanco's fly ball struck the pole about two feet from its base for his fourth homer of the year, knocking in pinch runner Sean Rodriguez and Andrew McCutchen to give Pittsburgh (17-14) an 8-2 lead.
Those runs became vital when St. Louis (16-16) rallied for three in its half of the seventh, capped by a two-run single by Yadier Molina that brought it back into contention.
But the Pirates turned to setup man Tony Watson, who pitched a clean eighth to settle things down. Josh Harrison and Chris Stewart added two-out RBI singles in the ninth that served as insurance for their fifth win over the Cardinals in six meetings this year.
Gerrit Cole (3-3) earned the win, pitching six innings and allowing six hits, two runs and two walks. He fanned seven in winning for the third time in his last four starts.
Michael Wacha (1-3) lost his third straight loss, giving up six hits and four runs over six innings. He issued two walks and struck out six.
Shut out in Wacha's prior two starts, St. Louis scored first as Brandon Moss lashed a two-out RBI double down the right field line in the bottom of the third inning.
Wacha retired the first nine hitters he faced and still had a two-hitter going with one out in the fifth but suddenly started making mistakes over the plate's middle. Stewart bounced an RBI double down the left field line to tie it and John Jaso belted a two-run homer for a 3-1 Pittsburgh lead.
David Freese, the MVP of the 2011 World Series while playing for the Cardinals, made it 4-1 in the sixth with an RBI single. St. Louis pulled within 4-2 in its half of the sixth on a two-out solo homer by Jeremy Hazelbaker, his sixth.
Jaso and Starling Marte each collected three hits in the Pirates' 14-hit attack. Stephen Piscotty tied a career high with four hits for the Cardinals, which finished their 10-game homestand at 4-6.
Mark Melancon recorded his ninth save for Pittsburgh.
NOTES: St. Louis RHP Adam Wainwright's ground-rule double in the third inning Saturday made him the first pitcher to record an extra-base hit in four consecutive at-bats since Snake Wiltse of the 1901 Philadelphia A's. ... RHP Tyler Glasnow, rated the top prospect in Pittsburgh's farm system, fired seven shutout innings for Triple-A Indianapolis Saturday night and hasn't allowed a run in 18 innings during his last three starts. ... Umpire Dana DeMuth, who took a foul ball off the mask Saturday in the first inning and left before the third inning, was replaced by Tom Woodring for Sunday's game. DeMuth was under MLB's "head injury" protocol following his departure.