PITTSBURGH _ What the Cardinals' bullpen needed more than the parade of newcomers that have cycled through the clubhouse in the past week was a starter to rise up and give them most of the night off.
Enter Dakota Hudson.
The Cardinals' rookie starter allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base and all three scored on a three-run homer. And that was it. Hudson found his footing and pressed on through 6 1/3 stout innings to carry the Cardinals eventual lead to the bullpen for a 4-3 victory Tuesday night at PNC Park. Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run to tie the game, and Jose Martinez's 10th home run of the season put the Cardinals ahead in the fifth inning.
The Cardinals have won nine of their past 11 games.
Hudson got the game into the seventh inning. Giovanny Gallegos took over from there and Andrew Miller handled the ninth for a save.
Hudson allowed three runs on six hits and three walks. Three of those hits came in the first inning, and two of the walks came in the fifth inning. He struck out Josh Bell with the bases loaded in the fifth to keep the Pirates frozen at three runs and keep his start afloat.
The Caridnals got a run in the second inning when Kolten Wong doubled to score Paul DeJong.In the third, Martinez singled up the middle, and Goldschmidt followed with his second homer in as many days. He has six RBIs in the series _ including a grand slam to win Monday's game and the two-run shot to tie Tuesday's. The homer Tuesday was Goldschmidt's 20th of the season.
In the fifth, against Pirates starter Chris Archer, Martinez hit a solo homer to right-center field to break the 3-3 tie.
