Tony Cruz and Allen Craig both doubled in two runs during an eight-run seventh inning Thursday that sent St. Louis blazing past Pittsburgh 13-0.
The Cardinals emphatically ended a seven-game losing streak that saw them relinquish first place in the National League Central to the Pirates. Pittsburgh had won four in a row.
Joe Kelly and three relievers combined on the shutout while the Cardinals were collecting 17 hits. The 13 runs came within one of a season’s best. St. Louis produced 14 runs against San Francisco in its sixth game of the campaign.
The Cardinals built a 5-0 lead through six inning, scoring runs on a wild pitch, a bases-loaded hit batsman and a double play grounder.
St. Louis removed any doubt in the seventh by sending a dozen men to the plate. The first six of them reached base. David Freese had a walk and an RBI double in the inning. Matt Holliday opened the frame with a double and later drove in a run with a ground out.
Kelly (2-3) gave up three hits and walked four during his six innings of work. Charlie Morton (3-3) surrendered five earned runs on 10 hits in six innings to suffer the loss.