It wasn’t perfect. Four runs on five hits with two homers over seven innings, but Adam Wainwright got enough run support to pick up his first win of the year as the Cardinals beat the Pirates 10-7 at Busch Stadium.
David Freese, Matt Holliday and Rafael Furcal all homered for the Cardinals who broke out of their run scoring slump by pounding Pittsburgh pitching with 13 hits. Five Cardinals had multiple hits, including Holliday’s 3 for 5 night as he raised his average to .235.
Freese’s sixth home run and third in five games was a tiebreaking, three-run shot off Charlie Morton (1-2) in the fifth. Holliday homered in the sixth off Jared Hughes to cap a three-hit night with two RBIs.
Allen Craig had two hits and an RBI in his season debut after rehabbing from knee surgery performed last fall shortly after he belted three homers in the World Series. Rafael Furcal had two hits, including his first homer, a two-run shot off Tony Watson in the seventh that made it 10-4.