Piscotty, Wainwright both homer as Cardinals beat Pirates

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run home run and Randal Grichuk also went deep to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 5-1 on Thursday to avoid a four-game sweep and end the Pirates' season-best seven-game winning streak.

Adam Wainwright (8-5) worked seven effective innings for St. Louis, which reclaimed second place in the NL Central by a half-game over Pittsburgh to end a rough 4-5 homestand. All-Star Matt Carpenter (oblique) joined Brandon Moss (ankle) and Brayan Pena (knee) on the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day.

Piscotty's 11th homer off Arquimedes Caminero was initially ruled off the top of the center-field wall but the call was overturned after review.

Tyler Glasnow (0-1) was charged with four runs in 5 1/3 innings in his debut. The 22-year-old right-hander was the 11th starter used by the Pirates and, like Steven Brault earlier in the series, got his first career hit.

Jordy Mercer doubled and had an RBI for the Pirates, who had come from behind to win the previous six games. They haven't swept a four-game series in St. Louis since 1997 and the Cardinals haven't been swept in four games at home by anyone since Colorado in 2009.

Aledmys Diaz, named an All-Star earlier in the day to replace Carpenter, tripled off the top of the left-field fence and scored on a wild pitch to tie it in the fourth. Grichuk's first homer since June 12 gave the Cardinals the lead for good in the fifth.

Wainwright matched his season best with nine strikeouts and got his 129th career win, passing Harry Brecheen for seventh on the franchise list. He's permitted one run over 14 innings his last two outings.

The first pitch was delayed 31 minutes by rain.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (triceps) is expected to make a second rehab start on Sunday.

Cardinals: 3B Jhonny Peralta (left thumb) missed his second straight start.

NICE GLOVE

Cardinals 3B Greg Garcia made two nice grabs on liners, robbing Jung Ho Kang in the first and pinch-hitter Sean Rodriguez in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Pirates: Francisco Liriano (5-8, 5.34) snapped a five-game losing streak his last time out, but is 0-2 against the Cubs this year.

Cardinals: Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.38) has won three straight starts and faces the Brewers for the second straight time.