Pittsburgh third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit his 26th homer of the season and drove in three runs as the Pirates shutout the Cardinals for a second game in a row, this time a 5-0 final. Alvarez’s three-run shot in the third off Joe Kelly gave him seven home runs and 23 RBI in 15 games against the Cardinals.
Wandy Rodriguez (9-13) worked six innings for Pittsburgh to pick up his first victory as a starter since being acquired in a trade last month. Rodriguez walked three and struck out three while helping the Pirates shut out the Cardinals for the second straight night.
Joe Kelly (4-6) struggled with control problems during five innings, giving up five runs on eight hits. Trevor Rosenthal, recalled on Wednesday, pitched the final three innings.