ST. LOUIS _ The Cardinals celebrated Mike Shildt's first game as manager with another sharp pitching performance by Jack Flaherty and home runs by Jose Martinez and Tyler O'Neill in a 5-2 win over the Pirates at Busch Stadium on Tuesday.
It was the sixth win in the past seven games for the Cardinals who now have a 1 {-game lead for the first wild-card spot.
Flaherty opened the game with four no-hit innings and gave up four hits in seven innings, striking out five and allowing just one run. It was the fifth straight time he had gone at least six innings and in those six starts, he has allowed more than one run only once. And that time, he allowed two. He's won four of his past five starts.
The game got a bit complicated in the eighth when Jordan Hicks came on in relief of Flaherty. Hicks gave up two walks and two singles in the five batters he faced, but he squeezed in a double play to minimize the damage. After Starling Marte singled to put the tying run on first, Shildt brought in Dakota Hudson, who got Adam Frazier to ground into a force at second. Bud Norris pitched the ninth
The Cardinals scored twice in the first on the 16th home run of the season for Martinez. After Matt Carpenter led off with an infield single and Yadier Molina grounded out, Martinez hit the ball 402 feet into the Pirates bullpen to make it 2-0.
The Cardinals scored two more in the fourth on a leadoff single by Martinez and another home run for O'Neill, whose 436 foot shot into left field was the third-longest home run by a Cardinal at Busch Stadium this season.
Flaherty retired the first 12 batters he faced before Francisco Cervelli led off the fifth with a single. He was erased on a double play, but with two outs, the Pirates used a double by Josh Bell and a single by Colin Moran to break the shutout.
The Cardinals had some chances to add some runs but couldn't. They left the bases loaded in the fourth and couldn't advance Yadier Molina after his leadoff double in the fifth.
It looked like the Cardinals had added another two-run homer in the eighth, by Jedd Gyorko, but on a crew chief review it was ruled to have hit the top of the wall and come back into play for a double. Gyorko eased into second on the play and then came out of the game with left groin discomfort. He'll be re-examined on Wednesday.
