The Cardinals won their 6th straight by topping the Pirates 11-5. It was tied at 5 apiece when Eli Marrero laced an RBI single in the 9th. Later, Fernando Vina drove in a run with a grounder, Jim Edmonds singled in a run and Tino Martinez capped it with a three run double. Martinez was 3-5 driving in four runs. He says when a couple guys get hot its easy for the rest of the team to follow. Martinez has hit in 9 straight games raising his averageto .264. There’s no denying the level of confidence in the clubhouse these days. The Cards have scored 46 runs in the last five games, Starter Luther Hackman allowed just two runs off two hits, but didn’t get the decision. With the win, St. Louis moved four games ahead of the Astros in the National League Central. They face the Phillies on the road this weekend.
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