Yadier Molina drove in two runs and Adam Wainwright continued his mastery of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the visiting St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-3 win on Friday.
Dylan Carlson and Harrison Bader each had an RBI single for the Cardinals, who had lost two straight.
Wainwright (5-3) extended his scoreless streak against the Pirates to 38 1/3 innings, dating to last June 26, before giving up a run in the seventh. In his seven innings, he gave up the one run and four hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
The right-hander improved to 23-7 in his career vs. Pittsburgh.
Giovanny Gallegos struck out all five batters he faced for his eighth save.
Nolan Gorman, who started at second base in his major league debut for the Cardinals, went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.
Michael Chavis homered and Bryan Reynolds hit an RBI single for the Pirates, who lost for the third time in four games.
Pittsburgh starter Zach Thompson (2-4), who had never faced St. Louis, allowed one run and five hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked one.
In the first inning, St. Louis’ Tommy Edman hit a leadoff single to left. An out later, Paul Goldschmidt singled to left. Nolan Arenado flied out to right, and Goldschmidt was retired on the bases for a double play, but not before Edman scored for a 1-0 lead.
Pirates reliever Heath Hembree entered in the sixth and walked Arenado with one out before Juan Yepez singled to left. Hembree was pulled for Anthony Banda, who walked Gorman to load the bases. Carlson’s base hit to center brought home Arenado to push the Cardinals’ lead to 2-0.
Molina followed with a single to left to drive in Yepez and Gorman, and Carlson scored on Bader’s single to made it 5-0.
In the seventh, Chavis lined a homer to left, his fourth, to cut the gap to 5-1 and end Wainwright’s scoreless string against Pittsburgh.
In the eighth vs. Cardinals reliever Genesis Cabrera, Rodolfo Castro reached on Arenado’s throwing error from third. Ben Gamel singled to center, Ke’Bryan Hayes singled to left to load the bases and Reynolds hit a run-scoring base hit to left. Yoshi Tsutsugo’s fielder’s choice brought Gamel home to slice the margin to 5-3.
Gallegos then entered and fanned Diego Castillo and Chavis to end the rally.
–Field Level Media