Lynn, Beltran lead Cards to 9-1 win over Pirates

[April 27, 2013]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Lance Lynn pitched seven innings of one-run ball to extend his winning streak to nine games and Carlos Beltran homered from both sides of the plate and drove in three runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-1 win over Pittsburgh on Friday night in a game that saw two Pirates and their manager ejected.

Matt Carpenter and Beltran started the game with home runs for the Cardinals, who have won four straight and five of six. It was the first time the Cardinals went back-to-back to lead off a game since April 16, 2004, against Colorado.

Pirates starter Jonathan Sanchez (0-3) lasted just two more batters. He and manager Clint Hurdle were ejected after Sanchez hit Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig with a pitch.

Home plate umpire Tim Timmons immediately ejected Sanchez, who had thrown just 17 pitches and did not retire a batter, after Craig was beaned. When Hurdle came out to argue, he also was ejected.

Jeanmar Gomez replaced Sanchez on the mound.

Pirates hitting coach Jay Bell was tossed in the fifth inning when he argued with Timmons after Pirates lead-off man Starling Marte was hit by Lynn for the second straight time.

Lynn (4-0) gave up just two hits while striking out nine and walking three, He has won nine straight dating to Sept. 9, 2012, which ties the San Francisco Giants' Barry Zito for the NL's longest active win streak.

Pedro Alvarez did manage to snap Lynn's scoreless streak at 14 2-3 innings with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

The multi-homer game was the 35th for Beltran and his first since Sept. 30, 2012 against Washington, which is also the last time a Cardinal player homered from both sides of the plate in the same game.

After Carpenter and Beltran gave the Cardinals a quick 2-0 lead, Craig gave the Cardinals a three-run cushion with an RBI single off Gomez with one out in the third. Carpenter walked to start the fifth, and Beltran followed with a long home run to right off Gomez while batting left-handed to make it 5-0.

Craig had a two-run single as part of a four-run eighth inning.

NOTES: Carpenter's leadoff homer was the first of his career and first by a Cardinal since Rafael Furcal did it on May 7, 2012, at Arizona. ... The Pirates Andrew McCutchen played in his 600th game Friday, and went 0-3 before leaving in the fifth as part of a double switch. ... Cardinals pitcher Jake Westbrook will seek his 100th career win when he opposes A.J. Burnett in the second game of the series Saturday. ... Sanchez saw his ERA balloon to 12.71.

[Associated Press]

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