ST. LOUIS _ Tyler O'Neill continued his robust hitting and the Cardinals continued their string of strong pitching since the All-Star break Monday night as they blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-0, behind Miles Mikolas at rainy Busch Stadium.
O'Neill banged one homer to center field at 414 feet in the fifth and one even longer at 433 feet to center in the seventh as he drove in four runs for the second game in the past three and raised his RBI total to nine in three games since the All-Star break. He also singled and hit a wicked low liner in the first that Pirates left fielder Corey Dickerson misplayed, with a run scoring.
O'Neill is hitting .325 since being recalled from Memphis late last month.
Mikolas (6-9), who had lost seven of his past eight decisions, needed only 100 pitches to navigate nine innings, scattering eight hits for his second big league shutout and first complete game and shutout by a Cardinal this season.
He walked nobody, giving him 34 consecutive starts in which he has walked two or fewer. Mikolas was helped by a brilliant defensive play from right fielder Dexter Fowler and excellent ones by second baseman Kolten Wong and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
The Cardinals' victory was their third in succession, moving them into second place in the National League Central Division for the first time since May 7 as they passed Milwaukee. And, get this, the Cardinals shoved into the lead for the second wild-card spot, just ahead of Philadelphia.
Matt Carpenter had to leave the game when he again fouled a ball off his right leg, this one off the top of the foot, in the seventh inning. Carpenter departed with a 3-2 count and a contusion and Tommy Edman finished the strikeout, which was charged to the unfortunate Carpenter.
