SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nick Hundley made the most of a summer heat wave with one big swing.

Hundley hit a game-ending homer in the 10th inning, and the Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Saturday despite a stellar pitching performance from Lance Lynn.

“Good thing it was a warm day,” Hundley said. “I think earlier in the year it was windy and cold, maybe it doesn’t go out. I’m not complaining about that.”

The game-time temperature of 95 degrees was the third highest at AT&T Park and just the sixth that topped 90 degrees. Hundley led off the 10th with an opposite-field drive to right on a 1-0 slider from Ryan Sherriff (0-1) for his sixth homer of the season.

“He’s got good power,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “When he hit it, I thought it was going out. I’ve seen him do it before.”

The Cardinals were trying for their third straight win, but they wasted a terrific performance by Lynn and a prime scoring opportunity in the 10th. Dexter Fowler led off with a triple against Sam Dyson (2-2), but third baseman Pablo Sandoval cut down pinch runner Harrison Bader at the plate on Stephen Piscotty’s one-out grounder.

“That was the contact play,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “With less than two outs, ideally, you’d check down and get in a rundown and allow the batter to get to second.”

Lynn struck out four and walked four while pitching eight shutout innings of one-hit ball. The right-hander pitched eight or more scoreless innings for the first time since June 23, 2014, against the Rockies in Colorado.

“I don’t think he threw a ball over the middle of the plate,” Hundley said. “He was throwing fastballs on both sides of the plate, made it really tough.”

The Giants never got a runner to third base while Lynn was in the game.

“They weren’t going to let me go out there (in the ninth) but I started developing a blister and the last two innings I felt the effects,” Lynn said. “I’m lucky to get through eight. It was a good, well-pitched game. It just didn’t go our way.”

Buster Posey’s one-out single in the ninth off Seung Hwan Oh scored Hunter Pence with the tying run. It was Oh’s fourth blown save in 24 tries.

Pence opened the inning with a pinch-hit single and advanced to second on Joe Panik’s sacrifice against Tyler Lyons, who started the inning.

San Francisco right-hander Jeff Samardzija struck out nine and gave up one run in seven innings in his second straight strong start. The 32-year-old right-hander tossed a shutout in his previous outing against the San Diego Padres.

HEAT WAVE

It was the first time temperatures of 90 degrees or higher were announced on consecutive days at AT&T Park. Friday night’s game-time temperature was 93 degrees, the hottest announced temperature in a game that started after 7 p.m. at the ballpark.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: LF Tommy Pham as out of lineup for a second straight day with a bruised thumb. Pham got hurt sliding into second on Thursday.

Giants: Samardzija started Saturday’s game instead of RHP Chris Stratton, who was scratched because he warmed up in the bullpen when Friday’s game was tied in the late innings. Stratton is expected to pitch next week in Colorado, probably on Monday, Bochy said. … Rookie OF Austin Slater, who is coming back from a left groin strain, was scheduled to play his second rehab game on Saturday with Triple-A Sacramento. . An MRI revealed a left oblique strain for OF Jarret Parker. He won’t play until after the Giants’ three-game series against the Rockies next week, Bochy said.

UP NEXT

Right-hander Luke Weaver (3-1, 2.48 ERA) will pitch Sunday’s series finale for St. Louis. The 24-year-old rookie has struck out 10 in each of his last two starts and has won his last three decisions. Left-hander Madison Bumgarner (3-6, 2.85 ERA) will face the Cardinals for the first time since Game 5 of the 2014 NL Championship Series. Bumgarner was supposed to pitch Thursday’s series opener but was a late scratch with flu symptoms.

— Associated Press —

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pitcher Corey Knebel told center fielder Keon Broxton he owes him big time.

For good reason.

Domingo Santana and Jonathan Villar homered in the sixth inning, and Broxton made a leaping catch over the wall for the final out in the Milwaukee Brewers’ 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

Knebel pitched the ninth for his 30th save. He allowed a leadoff single to Yadier Molina, struck out the next two batters, and then watched Broxton snag Randal Grichuk’s deep blast to end the game.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the best one I’ve ever made, but it’s definitely one of the most important ones I’ve made,” Broxton said. “It’s huge. It’s everything. It’s what every outfielder dreams of: making a catch like that in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win. It was a lot of fun, for sure.”

Broxton replaced starting center fielder Hernan Perez with one out in the eighth as part of a double switch.

“I’m glad he was in there, for sure,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “Although Hernan Perez says he would’ve made the play.”

Chase Anderson (8-3) gave up two hits — both homers — in six innings, three earned runs, struck out six and walked two to improve to 4-0 in nine starts at Miller Park this season.

Santana hit his 22nd homer of the season and Villar’s was his 10th, giving Milwaukee a franchise-record nine players with at least 10 homers in a season.

St. Louis fell 2 1/2 games behind the second-place Brewers in the NL Central despite two home runs from Tommy Pham, who has 19 on the season.

Carlos Martinez (10-10), who entered the game 3-0 in his past four starts, allowed 10 hits, six runs — three earned — and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings.

Milwaukee won for the 10th time in its past 15 games by scoring three times in the sixth. Santana led off with an opposite-field homer to right, Stephen Vogt reached when his ground ball went through the legs of third baseman Matt Carpenter and Villar followed with another opposite-field shot to left for a 6-3 lead.

Grichuk hit his 17th homer in the fifth and St. Louis manager Mike Matheny thought he had another in the ninth.

“It was a good play, a good at-bat, too,” Matheny said. “Off the bat, I thought that ball was far enough, but he made a great play out there.”

LEAKE TRADED

Before the game, St. Louis sent starting pitcher Mike Leake to the Seattle Mariners for minor-league infielder Rayder Ascanio.

The 29-year-old Leake, who signed a five-year deal with St. Louis before the 2016 season, waived the no-trade clause in his contract.

He was 7-12 with a 4.21 ERA this season, but lost 10 of his previous 12 decisions after getting off to a 5-2 start.

Leake was scheduled to pitch at San Francisco on Friday, but it appears the Cardinals will bring up a prospect from Triple-A Memphis to take his place.

BASERUNNING GAFFES

Milwaukee not only had a runner thrown out at home and third base in the fourth inning, one of the racing sausages at Miller Park fell during the contest in the middle of the sixth.

STATS

St. Louis hit three home runs in a game in which it totaled five or fewer hits for the first time since April 8, 2004, also against Milwaukee.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (9-7) takes a three-game losing streak into his start at San Francisco.

Brewers: RHP Zach Davies (15-7) is 8-3 in his past 12 starts and has not allowed a run in the past 13 2/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Molina played after he was a late scratch Tuesday because of right lower abdominal soreness.

Brewers: Manny Pina did not play because of an apparent leg injury he sustained in the fourth inning Tuesday that forced him to leave the game.

— Associated Press —

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Matt Carpenter rounded the bases after his two-run shot, looked up and pointed two fingers toward the night sky as he touched the plate.

It was a rather meaningless homer in terms of the game, extending a big lead for the St. Louis Cardinals in what ended up being a 10-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.

It meant so much more for what it would cost Carpenter. The Galveston, Texas native followed through in his first game after pledging $10,000 for every home run that he hit the rest of the season to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

“I was kind of nervous about the expectations,” Carpenter said. “To be able to do it the first night, get one out of the way and see that money go for a good cause, I’m glad I was able to do that.”

Teammate Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals organization also have pledged to match Carpenter’s long-ball donations for hurricane relief efforts. So that fifth-inning drive off a 1-1 pitch from Carlos Torres meant a total pledge of $30,000 to aid flood victims.

“Happy to see him write that check. Hope he keeps doing it every night,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

St. Louis chased Matt Garza (6-8) with one out in the fourth. The right-hander walked five and allowed six runs, though only three were earned after the Brewers committed two errors in the third.

“The third inning we could have minimized that damage, but obviously defensively not getting those outs gave them some extra chances,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

The loss dropped the second-place Brewers to 3 1/2 games back of the NL Central-leading Cubs, who won on Tuesday. The Cardinals remained in third, five games back of Chicago.

STARTING TIME

Cardinals: Luke Weaver (3-1) gave up a solo homer to Eric Thames in the bottom of the third. The 24 year-old right-hander otherwise had another solid outing against the Brewers, striking out 10 while allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Weaver has a 3.00 ERA in four career starts versus Milwaukee, with 36 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Brewers: Garza’s ERA in August climbed to 7.67, and he walked five for the second time in four starts. Asked if Garza would take his next scheduled start on Sunday, Counsell said: “Right now that is what we are doing, yeah.”

Teams can expand rosters starting Friday, so it’s possible Milwaukee could turn to a minor league call-up as well.

SAFE AND SOUND

Matheny said his sons were safe after their apartments were flooded in San Jacinto, Texas. Jake and Luke Matheny transferred to San Jacinto College this month to play baseball. Mike Matheny said his sons had just moved into their off-campus apartments in San Jacinto, which is a suburb of Houston, about a week before Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast. The Cardinals skipper said they have been staying the last few days with teammates living in a third-floor apartment.

QUOTABLE

“There’s no such thing as a non-big series or a non-big game. … You can’t force your way to good games. That’s just the way it goes sometimes, and you move on to tomorrow.” — outfielder Ryan Braun on losing to the Cardinals after the Brewers took two of three games on the road against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Yadier Molina was a late scratch because of right lower abdominal soreness. “I didn’t know anything about it but it didn’t seem like he was too worried about it. We’ll see how he shows up tomorrow morning,” Matheny said.

Brewers: C Andrew Susac (upper back) and LHP Brent Suter (rotator cuff) are expected to come off the 10-day disabled list when rosters expand to 40 players on Friday. Both players are scheduled to make rehab appearances this week at Class A Wisconsin. … C Manny Pina left after the top of the fourth after scrambling for a pitch that got away in the dirt. He said it felt like he had been pinched in the hip when he went down to block the ball.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Right-handed ace Carlos Martinez (10-9) takes the mound needing nine strikeouts to match his career-high 184 from 2015.

Brewers: Chase Anderson (7-3) looks for his first win in seven career starts against St. Louis. He is 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA versus the Cardinals, including no-decisions in two starts this season.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Logan Morrison reached a milestone, helped his team win and paid tribute to his late father.

Morrison blasted two home runs to reach 31 this season, his second coming in the 10th inning to lead the Tampa Bay Rays past the Cardinals 3-2 on Sunday.

“Exciting win for us obviously,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It kind of started with LoMo, ended with LoMo and then a lot of good Chris Archer in the middle. . It’s also really good to see LoMo get going. He got to the 30 homer mark and then got 31, so maybe he’s going to start adding on here quickly. But tough, tough ballgame.”

Morrison’s father, Tom, died in 2010 after a battle with cancer. Morrison wore his parents’ names on the patch on his shoulder for Major League Baseball’s Players Weekend. The Rays first baseman acknowledged his father after his home runs.

“He was always the guy pushing me and driving me to be better,” Morrison said. “He even framed a poster of Cal Ripken that said `perseverance’ under it. I mean, shoot, that pretty much sums up today, where my career has gone and where it is now. Just keep going. Keep persevering and keep going.”

Morrison drove a 97-mph fastball from Sam Tuivailala into the right-center field bleachers with one out in the 10th. His 31 homers are a career high.

“I was looking for a heater,” he said. “Just trying to take a nice, easy swing at it, relax, and let him do the work for me basically. I barreled it up and it went out for me.”

Sergio Romo (3-1) threw a scoreless ninth, and Alex Colome worked a scoreless 10th for his major league-leading 39th save in 44 chances.

All five runs in the game were scored on solo homers.

The win was the Rays’ third in four games and fifth in seven as they attempt to chase down a wild-card spot. Tampa Bay improved to 8-5 in extra innings.

Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer allowed one run and five hits over seven innings. The right-hander struck out eight and walked one.

Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings, striking out eight and walking three.

Morrison hit his 30th homer this season in the fourth. Brad Miller’s homer in the seventh made it 2-0.

“Having never done it before, 30 is a pretty special club,” Morrison said. “Hopefully I can keep swinging it and get into an even more special club.”

Kolten Wong went deep in the eighth to make it 2-1. It was his second homer in three games and fourth of the season.

The Rays loaded the bases in the eighth against three Cardinals relievers, but John Brebbia struck out Miller to end the threat.

Matt Carpenter tied it in the eighth with his 17th homer this season.

“Any loss when you go to extra innings isn’t going to be good … but just solo shots hurt us today,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “We just couldn’t finish like we needed to.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 3B Jedd Gyorko (right hamstring strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and could miss a few weeks. 1B Luke Voit was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Cardinals GM Mike Girsch and Matheny said Carpenter could see time at third with Gyorko out. . LHP Kevin Siegrist (left forearm) could return from a rehab assignment later this week.

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Austin Pruitt (6-4, 5.76) opened a three-game series in Kansas City on Monday. He has allowed 11 runs and 18 hits over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts.

Cardinals: After an off day Monday, RHP Luke Weaver (2-1, 2.31) will open a three-game series in Milwaukee on Tuesday. He struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings in his last start.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Corey Dickerson had four hits, including two doubles, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 on Friday night.

Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits and two RBI, helping Tampa Bay to its fourth win in five games. Steven Souza Jr. homered, Kevin Kiermaier also drove in two runs and the Rays finished with 16 hits.

Sergio Romo (2-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Jake Odorizzi, who allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings. The Rays’ bullpen combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

St. Louis right-hander Michael Wacha (9-7) was charged with five runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. The Cardinals have dropped five of six and eight of 11.

St. Louis jumped in front on Dexter Fowler’s sacrifice fly in the first, but Tampa Bay responded with four runs in the third.

Souza led off with his 28th homer. Hechavarria hit a two-run double down the third-base line, and Odorizzi helped himself with a two-out RBI single.

Yadier Molina hit a sacrifice fly in the third for the Cardinals, and Kolten Wong went deep in the fourth.

Tampa Bay stretched its lead to 7-3 on Kiermaier’s two-run single in the ninth off Brett Cecil.

MAKING MOVES

Tampa Bay signed infielder Danny Espinosa and optioned infielder Daniel Robertson to Triple-A Durham. The Rays also announced that infielder Trevor Plouffe cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Durham.

Espinosa, who was released by Seattle on Monday, started at second base and hit eighth in the order. He went 1 for 4 with a walk.

IN THE SHOW

Cardinals reliever Ryan Sherriff made his major league debut, tossing three scoreless innings. The left-hander allowed two hits, struck out four and walked one.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: 2B Brad Miller was not in the starting lineup. He pinch-hit in the seventh inning and struck out. He left Thursday’s game against Toronto with a bruised right shoulder after being hit by a pitch.

Cardinals: 1B Matt Carpenter returned to the lineup after missing two games with a virus. … OF Tommy Pham (foot soreness) was out of the starting lineup, but had a pinch-hit single in the seventh inning.

UP NEXT

Rays: LHP Blake Snell (2-6, 4.42 ERA) allowed two hits and struck out eight over seven innings in his previous start, Sunday against the Mariners. He has a 3.43 ERA over his last eight starts.

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake (7-12, 4.16 ERA) is 2-10 in his last 12 decisions and is 0-3 with a 10.31 ERA in five starts in August.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Asuaje’s RBI single in the ninth inning gave San Diego the lead and Jose Pirela’s sacrifice fly proved to be the game-winner as the Padres rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Thursday night.

Asuaje’s hit, his third of the game, off Zach Duke scored Jabari Blash. Neither Duke nor Sam Tuivailala (3-2) recorded an out in relief in the ninth for a Cardinals bullpen that surrendered 12 runs in seven innings during the series.

Luis Perdomo gave up two runs in six innings, tying Jhoulys Chacin for the Padres team lead with 13 quality starts. Perdomo, who was claimed off the Cardinals farm system by Colorado in the 2015 Rule 5 draft, was lifted for pinch-hitter Allen Cordoba, whom the Padres plucked from the Cardinals’ system in the 2016 Rule 5 draft.

Kirby Yates (3-4) pitched the Padres out of an eighth-inning jam and Brad Hand earned his 12th save in 16 attempts as the Padres won their first series at St. Louis since April 2011.

Matt Szczur’s infield single scored Asuaje to give the Padres a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez appeared to pitch out of a bases loaded, no-out jam one batter before by enticing Cory Spangenberg to ground back to him, but Martinez’s throw home sailed over Yadier Molina’s head allowing Manuel Margot to score.

Margot, Asuaje and Pirela combined for seven hits and three walks.

Just one of the two runs Martinez gave up through seven was earned. Martinez struck out six, including the side in the fifth on 10 pitches.

Jedd Gyorko’s RBI single gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the fourth. It was Gyorko’s 16th RBI in 10 career games against his former team and the ninth consecutive game with an RBI against the Padres.

Randal Grichuk homered in the ninth off Hand.

WEB GEMS

Grichuk made a diving catch in right field to rob Perdomo of a single in the third.

Kolten Wong saved two runs in the sixth by snagging Luis Torrens’ hard grounder up the middle and throwing off balance to first to end the Padres’ rally.

TAKE A BOW

Padres bench coach Mark McGwire received a standing ovation from the 38,726 at Busch Stadium while being honored in the middle of the sixth for his upcoming induction into the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame on Saturday.

TRAINING ROOM

Padres: RHP Chacin had swelling in his pitching hand after getting jammed batting on Wednesday and is day to day.

Cardinals: 1B Matt Carpenter (virus) missed his second straight game.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Travis Wood (3-4, 5.81 ERA) opens a three-game set at Miami and LHP Adam Conley (6-5, 4.93 ERA). Wood pitched a season-high seven innings in his last start, his longest outing since April 28, 2015.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (9-6, 4.08 ERA) opens a three-game interleague series against Tampa Bay and RHP Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.74 ERA). Wacha has received just one run of support in four of his last five starts.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Luke Weaver gave the St. Louis Cardinals’ ravaged pitching staff a big boost.

Making his third start of the season, the rookie right-hander struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings to help the Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 on Wednesday night.

“I felt great,” Weaver said. “I felt like everything was rolling really well. The command of the fastball was the biggest thing for me tonight.”

The Cardinals had lost three straight and six of eight following an eight-game winning streak, and had allowed at least five runs in each of the last 12 games.

“We needed that,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

Weaver (2-1), who turned 24 on Monday, allowed three hits in his longest career outing and matched his career best with 10 strikeouts.

“He had everything and then he was able to raise the eye level, he was able to make real nice fastball pitches late in the count,” Matheny said. “Just an impressive start.”

San Diego’s Jhoulys Chacin (11-9) allowed five runs — four earned — on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three, walked three and hit four batters.

“It just wasn’t a clean outing from him today,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “It was a fight from the beginning.”

The Cardinals’ leadoff hitters reached and scored in four of the first five innings. Three of those runs scored with two outs.

Second baseman Kolten Wong, batting in the leadoff spot with Matt Carpenter unavailable, sparked the St. Louis offense with three hits, three runs scored and two stolen bases.

The Cardinals opened the first inning with back-to-back doubles, with Tommy Pham driving in Wong, and Pham scoring on Dexter Fowler’s sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Wong led off the third with a single and scored on Jedd Gyorko’s two-out infield single. Greg Garcia scored on Chacin’s two-out throwing error on an errant pickoff in the fourth, making it 4-0. Fowler scored on Chacin’s bases-loaded wild pitch in the fifth.

Manuel Margot’s triple off reliever Seung Hwan Oh in the eighth plated the Padres’ first run, making it 5-1. Cory Spangenberg hit a solo home run, his 13th, off John Brebbia in the ninth.

ROSENTHAL TO HAVE TOMMY JOHN SURGERY

Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal will have Tommy John surgery. The team announced the decision Wednesday after moving the hard-throwing right-hander from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL.

“I think just the timing of it, being right in the middle of this race and the way my personal season had been taking shape and the way the team has been playing recently. Tough timing,” Rosenthal said. “It felt like we were getting in a groove, I was in a groove, and to kind of have this happen and take a piece away from a really good team is a little bit of a bummer.”

Rosenthal, who had 93 saves in 2014-15, lost the closer’s job a year ago to Oh, but reclaimed it this season after Oh struggled. Rosenthal recorded 11 saves this season, giving him 118 over the past four years.

“We hoped for better news,” Matheny said. “Somebody is going to have to step in. He was really throwing the ball well.”

HIT BY PITCHES

The Cardinals were hit by pitches five times, the most in team history since 1913.

“You never like it,” Matheny said. “A couple breaking balls, too, breaking down the back foot. Fortunately everybody came out relatively unscathed.”

Chacin’s four hit batsmen set a Padres record and tied the major league mark by John Lackey this season. No pitcher has hit more than four batters in a game since 1903.

“That’s really weird for me there, that many batters,” Chacin said. “Just my ball was moving crazy.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: RHP Miguel Diaz (strained right forearm) is expected to make one more rehab start in the minors before returning to the majors.

Cardinals: 1B Matt Carpenter missed the game because of illness. Gyorko, starting in place of Carpenter, made his 10th career start at first base.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Luis Perdormo (6-8, 4.93), a former Cardinals minor leaguer, will make his second career appearance against his former organization Thursday night.

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (10-9, 3.57) is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two career starts against the Padres at Busch Stadium.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Yangervis Solarte homered and drove in a career-high six runs, Austin Hedges also went deep and the San Diego Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 12-4 on Tuesday night.

Solarte hit his homer a projected 455 feet over the right-field bullpen in the eighth inning to cap his career night. The Padres had scored six runs over their previous four games combined.

Solarte capitalized on starter Lance Lynn’s lack of control with a three-run double in the second. Lynn needed 64 pitches to get through the first three innings. He hit two batters, including opposing starter Clayton Richard, ahead of Solarte.

Hedges’ three-run homer off Zach Duke capped a six-run seventh inning that also included three runs off Matt Bowman (3-5). It was Hedges’ first homer since Aug. 8.

Richard allowed three homers and four runs in 5 2/3 innings despite entering the game with the NL’s best groundball percentage at 59.5 percent. Craig Stammen (1-2) got one out in the sixth for the victory.

Solarte’s double in the fifth, to nearly the identical spot in right-center field, regained the lead for the Padres. He has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games.

Lynn struck out four through six innings. All three batters Bowman faced scored as St. Louis pitchers gave up at least five runs for the 12th straight game.

Jedd Gyorko and Stephen Piscotty hit back-to-back homers to tie it in the fourth. Gyorko’s two-run blast was his seventh in seven career games against his former club, and it was Piscotty’s first homer since June 18. It was the sixth time this season the Cardinals hit back-to-back home runs.

Yadier Molina’s solo homer in the sixth drove Richard out of the game and tied it 4-4. He passed Ted Simmons for 12th on the Cardinals’ career hit list (1705) and tied George Hendrick at 17th for homers (123).

BIG MAC RETURNS

San Diego bench coach Mark McGwire will be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame on Saturday. McGwire played for the Cardinals from 1997-2001, hitting .270 with 220 home runs and 473 RBI, including 70 homers in 1998.

TRAINING ROOM

Padres: Reinstated OF Matt Szczur (family leave) and optioned LHP Kyle McGrath to Triple-A El Paso.

Cardinals: LHP Kevin Siegrist (left forearm) threw his fourth bullpen and will go on a rehab assignment to the team’s spring training complex in Jupiter, Florida, on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Jhoulys Chachin (11-8, 3.98 ERA) has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his last 13 starts. His 2.63 ERA during that span is the third-lowest in the NL and fifth-lowest in the majors (min. 13 starts).

Cardinals: RHP Luke Weaver (1-1, 3.31 ERA) will be making his first career start against San Diego. He has allowed three runs or less in eight of his last 10 major league starts.

— Associated Press —

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Josh Bell homered and drove in four runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 in the Little League Classic on Sunday night.

The teams played at renovated Bowman Field, a minor league ballpark located 5 miles from where the Little League World Series is taking place. Sitting in the front rows were admiring Little Leaguers who got to mingle with the big league stars earlier in the day, part of a Major League Baseball initiative to celebrate youth baseball.

After the final out of MLB’s first regular-season game in Williamsport, the Pirates shook hands on the field as usual following a victory. And then — in a nod to Little League baseball — both teams lined up at home plate and shook hands with each other, throwing in some hugs and high-fives to finish off a feel-good day.

Bell sent a pitch from Mike Leake (7-12) over the right-field wall for a two-run shot in the first inning. The slugger added a two-run single in the third to give Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Adam Frazier homered for the second straight game and Andrew McCutchen added an RBI grounder for the Pirates, who were the “home” team and won their second in a row to split the four-game series. They snapped a six-game skid with a rain-delayed victory Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Pirates starter Ivan Nova (11-10) wasn’t affected by Saturday’s late finish. The team sent him to Williamsport early that day so he’d be rested and ready. And he was. Nova gave up three runs on eight hits and struck out five in 5 2/3 innings.

Felipe Rivero got three outs for his 14th save in 15 chances. With runners on first and second, Paul DeJong hit a long fly to center field for the final out.

Jedd Gyorko cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-2 with a two-run homer in the second, his 17th of the season. Kolten Wong had an RBI single for St. Louis in the sixth.

The Pirates’ bullpen held the Cardinals to two hits after Nova’s exit.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

St. Louis players Lance Lynn and Randal Grichuk both starred for their respective Little League teams. Grichuk made back-to-back appearances in the Little League World Series for Richmond, Texas, in 2003 and 2004. Lynn’s team from Brownsburg, Indiana, went 0-3 in 1999.

A couple of Pirates also had memories of Williamsport.

Max Moroff was on the Maitland, Florida, team that advanced to the semifinals of the 2005 Little League World Series, and Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle spent a year managing the now-defunct Williamsport Bills, then a New York Mets affiliate. He was asked if any of the gear or keepsakes he signed Sunday had a Bills logo on it.

“Not one Williamsport Bills item has popped up,” Hurdle said. “It was a very forgettable year.”

The Bills went 60-79 in Hurdle’s lone season.

LITTLE LEAGUERS TAKE PART

Little League players took part all night, beginning with the opening pitch.

A player from each team lined up from center field and around the bases to relay the first pitch to Pirates catcher Chris Stewart. Players also relayed lineup cards to officials, answered trivia questions on the field for Xboxes and signed memorabilia, and got the best seats in the house — in the front rows and winding around both dugouts.

They also got a chance to take over the stadium address system, announcing players as they walked to the plate, and were treated to nearly 200 snow cones bought by Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: St. Louis is off Monday before Lynn (10-6) opens a six-game homestand against San Diego on Tuesday. Lynn, who struggled with a 5.68 ERA in June, has lowered that to 2.00 in three August starts.

Pirates: Gerrit Cole (10-8) faces the major league-leading Dodgers on Monday. Cole is 4-1 in his last eight starts.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Adam Frazier and the Pittsburgh Pirates finished off a win at PNC Park, then packed their bags for a trip — to another home game about 200 miles away.

Frazier homered, doubled and singled to help the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 Saturday, ending a six-game losing streak in a matchup delayed nearly two hours by rain.

On Sunday morning, both teams will fly to central Pennsylvania to play in the Little League Classic later that night in Williamsport.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said they sent Sunday starter Ivan Nova ahead earlier Saturday. With him already in place, the rain didn’t disrupt the Pirates much, but it could have if the game went on any longer.

“(Nova is) already there,” Hurdle said. “Probably just finishing up dinner. The key is to keep the guys fresh. I didn’t think there were any challenges. If we played longer tonight, there could’ve been some different challenges.”

The game will be held at the home of the Williamsport Crosscutters, the Pirates’ affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League.

Following the rain delay in the second, Frazier and Starling Marte hit two-run homers in a five-run inning. Pinch-hitter Jose Osuna homered in the sixth.

The Cardinals scored 11 runs in each of their two wins to start this series. Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer in the eighth and Jose Martinez homered in the ninth.

“I put us within striking distance, and Jose puts us a little closer,” DeJong said. “You can’t give away at-bats, late in a game, down by five runs, rain delay all those factors. You’ve just got to try to help the team win every time.”

Chad Kuhl (6-8) responded well following the rain delay, giving up one run and three hits in five innings. Felipe Rivero got his 13th save.

Hurdle said Kuhl “was willing to pitch if he had to wait until tomorrow” for the rain to stop.

Kuhl said he felt sharper once he returned to the mound.

“I had all the confidence in the world that I was going to be back out there,” he said. “(It was) never really was a question in my mind with the state of our bullpen not being so rested. I was 100 percent. No matter how long it took, I was ready.”

Michael Wacha (9-6) was tagged for five runs and seven hits in four innings.

Wacha retired the side in order in the first, but the Pirates scored five times in the second. A leadoff walk set up Frazier’s home run, and Kuhl later doubled before Marte connected.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny couldn’t say if the delay impacted Wacha.

“You can’t take anything out of the equation,” Matheny said. “He was good in the first. It’s a long wait, but it’s a long wait for their guy, too, and he got out there and he looked better when he got back out.”

MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT

Cardinals: RHP Josh Lucas, 26, came in to start the fifth inning in relief of Wacha. He worked around a pair of singles in his first inning and gave up Osuna’s homer the next inning. St. Louis recalled Lucas, who allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts in two innings, from Triple-A Memphis and optioned RHP Mike Mayers on Friday.

ROSTER MOVE

Pirates: RHP Dovydas Neverauskas was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis while LHP Steven Brault was optioned to Indianapolis. He pitched a perfect fifth inning with one strikeout Saturday. Brault was recalled on Friday, after LHP Wade LeBlanc was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left quad strain.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake (7-11, 3.88) will try to bounce back from a poor start when he takes the mound against the Pirates in Williamsport. He surrendered eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox last time out.

Pirates: Nova (10-10, 3.77) will look to build off his last start when he faces the Cardinals. He took the loss his last time out, but allowed just one earned run in six innings against Milwaukee.

— Associated Press —