Pirates homer three times off Adam Wainwright but fall to Cards 6-4

Win: A. Wainwright (16-9)

Loss: Jeff Locke (6-4)

Save: Pat Neshek (5)

• Russell Martin, Starling Marte and Jordy Mercer each homered off Adam Wainwright but St. Louis prevailed 6-4 over the Pirates (71-67) on Tuesday night to move four games ahead of the Pirates in the NL Central. While the Pirates homered three times off Wainwright, the Cardinals ace drove in 3 runs himself with an RBI ground out in the second and a 2-run single in the 4th off Jeff Locke. Wainwright picked up his 16th win of the season, allowing 7 hits and 4 earned runs in seven innings pitched.
• The Pirates got poor starting pitching from Jeff Locke who didn’t make it out of the 4th inning, allowing 4 hits and 5  runs.
• Josh Harrison and Andrew Lambo each went 2-4. Harrison extended his hitting streak to eight games.

PIT Jeff Locke (6-3, 3.51 ERA) vs Adam Wainwright (15-9, 2.59 ERA)

Can Jeff Locke get the best of St. Louis Cardinals, Adam Wainwright for the second time in a week?

Wainwright had a rough August going 2-4 with a 5.17 ERA over six starts. September, though, often brings out the best in Wainwright, Cardinals. He was 4-1 with a 2.85 ERA in September last season and has a 1.24 ERA in his last seven starts vs the Pirates.

Locke who has won his last four decisions, allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings in a Pirates 3-1 win Tuesday (8/27) over the Cardinals. It might have been the best start of Locke’s career factoring in the circumstance of being in a pennant race. Locke is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four starts vs Cardinals.

A key for Locke tonight will be slowing down Matt Holliday. Holliday who has hit safely in seven straight games against the Pirates, is 20-67 (.313) with 13 RBIs vs the Pirates. In his last three games, Holliday is 7 for 11 with three homers and 12 RBIs.

1. Josh Harrison, 3B

2. Andrew Lambo, RF

3. Andrew McCutchen, CF

4. Neil Walker, 2B

5. Russell Martin, C

6. Ike Davis, 1B

7. Starling Marte, CF

8. Jordy Mercer, SS

9. Jeff Locke, P