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 However, they do know the importance of staying within striking
distance in the National League Central.
Right-hander Gerrit Cole pitched seven innings to become the first
13-game winner in the major leagues and the first Pirates pitcher to
have that many wins before the All-Star break since 1971 as
Pittsburgh beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 on Friday night.
The Pirates (51-35) won for the sixth time in seven games and drew
within 4 1/2 games of the Cardinals (56-31) in the NL Central in the
second game of a four-game series between the teams with the best
records in the major leagues.
"It's still July, so you don't want to get too wrapped up in talking
about a pennant race," Pirates second baseman Neil Walker said. "But
the Cardinals are obviously a good team and they've been playing
great all year. If we're going to catch them, we're going to have to
beat them when we play them because you can't count on other teams
beating them, as good as they are."
Cole (13-3) allowed two runs -- both on third baseman Matt
Carpenter's third-inning homer -- and six hits while striking out
three and walking two. Cole became just the second Pirates pitcher
to win 13 games before the All-Star break, joining Dock Ellis, who
had 14 in 1971.
"I feel good. I feel strong. I feel healthy," Cole said. "I feel
like I've gotten better every time out in some area."
Walker had three hits, including a two-run homer in the fourth, his
seventh home run of the season that extended the Pirates' lead to
5-2.
Closer Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth for his NL-leading
29th save in 30 opportunities.
Rookie third baseman Jung Ho Kang and shortstop Jordy Mercer each
had two of the Pirates' 10 hits.
Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn (6-5) lasted just four innings as
he lost for the first time in seven starts. He was tagged for five
runs and nine hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
"I kept falling behind the count and throwing pitches over the
middle of plate," Lynn said. "You can't do that against any team,
especially a good team like the Pirates because they're a great
fastball-hitting team."
Lynn has beaten the Pirates only once in his last nine starts
against them.
"We don't usually see outings like this from Lance," Cardinals
manager Mike Matheny said. "He just had a hard time finding the
strike zone. He never got in a rhythm."
Shortstop Jhonny Peralta and rookie center fielder Tommy Pham had
two hits apiece for the Cardinals.
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The Pirates went ahead 3-2 during a two-run third inning when Kang
and first baseman Pedro Alvarez each hit an RBI single. Walker then
padded the lead an inning later with his seventh homer of the
season.
Mercer doubled home the game's first run in the first inning.
Carpenter's two-run homer, his ninth home run of the year, had put
the Cardinals ahead 2-1 in the top of the third. The drive came with
one out after Pham hit a leadoff double.
"He's found out, even this year, that mis-executed pitches can have
some bad results," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of the
24-year-old Cole. "You've got to meet the challenges of the game and
he's continued to do that through his first half in very strog
fashion."
NOTES: Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez is headed to his first All-Star
Game after winning the National League's All-Star Final Vote on
Friday. He beat out a field that included Cincinnati RHP Johnny
Cueto, New York Mets RHP Jeurys Familia, Los Angeles Dodgers RHP
Clayton Kershaw and Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki. ... The Cardinals
decided to keep RF Matt Holliday (strained right quadriceps) on the
disabled list until they return from the All-Star break on July 17.
They considered activating him from the disabled list to serve as a
pinch hitter in the four-game series. ... Cardinals RHP Matt Belisle
(right elbow inflammation) started a throwing program and could be
back by the end of the month. ... Pirates LF Starling Marte sat out
his fifth straight game with a strained left oblique but is making
enough progress that he might avoid the disabled list. ... Cardinals
RHP John Lackey (7-5, 3.09 ERA) faces Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett (7-3,
1.99) on Saturday night. Lackey has made five quality starts in a
row with a 1.75 ERA during that span and is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in
four career starts against Pittsburgh. Burnett has a 1.66 ERA in his
last six starts and is 9-6 with a 3.67 ERA against St. Louis in 19
career starts.
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