Pirates lose, fall to 16 games under .500
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Edgar Renteria homered and drove in three runs as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive victory. Albert Pujols hit his 27th home run for the Cardinals, who had 11 hits – their third straight game in double figures. St. Louis maintained its three-game lead over Houston in the NL Central.
Andy Benes (2-3) continued to pitch effectively since his return from the disabled list following a right knee injury. He left after walking Rob Mackowiak to open the seventh, and reliever Mike Crudale immediately gave up a home run to Craig Wilson.
Benes held Pittsburgh to two runs, two hits and three walks to improve to 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his last four starts. Steve Kline and Jason Isringhausen finished the four-hitter.
The Pirates (52-68) have lost five straight to fall a season-worst 16 games under .500.
Renteria hit a two-run homer, his eighth, in the second off Kip Wells (11-10). It followed Tino Martinez’s single.
St. Louis added a run in the second when Mike Matheny singled, moved up on Benes’ sacrifice bunt and scored on J.D. Drew’s two-out single.
The Cardinals scored twice more in the third. Wells hit Scott Rolen with a pitch and walked Martinez. Renteria had an RBI single, and Matheny hit a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.
St. Louis got an unearned run in the sixth. Fernando Vina singled, stole second and went to third on catcher Jason Kendall’s throwing error. He scored on Wells’ wild pitch.
Pujols went deep off Scott Sauerbeck in the ninth.
Wilson’s homer was his 10th.
Benes walked two batters to start the second and Kendall hit an RBI single for his 999th career hit.
Wells has lost four of his last five decisions and is 3-8 over his last 14 starts.
NOTES: Renteria was 2-for-4 and is 10-for-17 in the last four games. … The Cardinals are 12-4 at PNC Park over two seasons. … Martinez has an eight-game hitting streak and 12 hits in his last 31 at-bats. … Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon was ejected by plate umpire Tim Tschida for disputing a called third strike on Brian Giles in the sixth. It was McClendon’s fourth ejection this season. … Opposing teams have hit 16 home runs in the last eight games at PNC Park. … The Pirates are 1-7 in the last eight games. The only win came in San Francisco on Aug. 9, when Wells gave up Barry Bonds’ 600th career home run.