ST. LOUIS (AP) — Doug Fister pitched effectively into the eighth inning and gave the Houston Astros breathing room with a two-run single in a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Colby Rasmus hit his 150th career homer in his first game back in St. Louis since 2011. Fister had been 0 for 2 on the season before hitting the first pitch from reliever Seung Hwan Oh up the middle to put the Astros up by three in the seventh.

Matt Adams and Brandon Moss homered for the Cardinals, whose season-best five-game winning streak ended.

Fister (7-3) allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, his longest outing of the season, to win his sixth consecutive decision. The Astros have won the right-hander’s last nine starts overall.

The hit gave Fister four career RBI, and the first since he had one in 2013 for Detroit.

The Astros’ 6-7-8 hitters were a combined 6 for 7 against Jaime Garcia (4-6). Rasmus also singled, Carlos Gomez singled and scored twice and Marwin Gonzalez singled and doubled with an RBI.

Fister retired 14 straight after Adams homered leading off the second, a streak that ended on Moss’ 15th homer in the sixth that cut the Astros’ lead to 3-2. Moss has four homers in his last seven games.

Garcia has lost four of his last five decisions. The lefty is 2-6 with a 6.15 ERA in 10 career starts against Houston.

Will Harris worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save in as many chances.

The Astros are making their first trip to St. Louis since the hacking scandal of the team’s data base last year.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: SS Carlos Correa (left ankle) returned to the lineup after missing three games.

Cardinals: Reliever Seth Maness (elbow) and C Brayan Pena (knee) remain on rehab assignments with Double-A Springfield with no firm call-up plans.

UP NEXT

Astros: Collin McHugh lasted just 3 2/3 innings his last start, allowing four runs in a loss at Texas. He has a 9.49 ERA in the first inning.

Cardinals: Adam Wainwright is 13-1 with a 1.57 ERA in his career against Houston, including seven victories his last seven outings. He had a season-high nine strikeouts last time out in a victory at Cincinnati.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Several players who have given the Pirates trouble for years helped the St. Louis Cardinals finish a rare sweep in Pittsburgh.

Mike Leake pitched seven effective innings, Matt Holliday homered and the Cardinals cruised to an 8-3 victory Sunday.

Randal Grichuk also homered for surging St. Louis, which has won five consecutive games and swept a series at PNC Park for the first time since August 2009. Holliday and Yadier Molina each had three hits.

“We just tried to come here and play the game the right way and tried to win games, and obviously we haven’t done this in a long time here, a sweep,” Molina said. “This is great; we played a great three games.”

Molina and Holliday have combined for 310 career hits against Pittsburgh. Leake won seven straight decisions versus the Pirates before losing his previous outing against them in April.

St. Louis entered the weekend having lost 22 of its past 31 in Pittsburgh, but won a series at PNC Park for the first time since 2012.

“At the end of the day, you’re still trying to pinpoint what they don’t hit the best,” said Leake, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds before this season. “My fastball-cutter combination was working pretty well.”

Leake (5-4) won for the fifth time in six decisions, limiting the Pirates to two earned runs and six singles with no walks and six strikeouts. He also went 2 for 3 at the plate and scored during the Cardinals’ three-run third.

The slumping Pirates have lost a season-worst five straight and fell a season-high 12 games behind the first-place Cubs in the NL Central. The second-place Cardinals remained nine games back.

“We’ve seen some good things here but I think there’s more for us,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “We need that well-rounded, all-those-pieces-together, and I think we’re seeing a little more of that, which should then set the template for what kind of team we can be. We haven’t done it enough yet for it to be identity. I think it’s our expectation, though, and this looks a little more like it.”

St. Louis scored four times in the sixth, capped by Grichuk’s solo homer to left field that ended the evening for Pirates starter Jonathon Niese. Grichuk snapped out of a 2-for-24 slump with the home run, his eighth.

Niese (6-3) lost for the first time since May 9. He was charged with season highs for runs (eight) and hits (11).

“A couple innings there snowballed on me,” Niese said. “And that was the difference.”

The left-hander had gone 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA over his past five starts and tossed seven scoreless innings in his previous outing.

“He was in the zone,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said, “but a lot of those times the execution was lacking. A lot of balls got up a little bit, more so than normal.”

David Freese and Starling Marte each had two hits and an RBI for the Pirates.

Holliday’s two-out solo homer in the first inning was his 11th of the season and second in two games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 2B Matt Carpenter (sore finger) missed his second consecutive game, but with an off day Monday he is expected to return to the lineup when St. Louis hosts Houston.

Pirates: Hurdle said the team was still awaiting test results before determining whether RHP Gerrit Cole will pitch Thursday. Cole left his start Friday because of right triceps tightness. … After leaving Saturday’s game when he aggravated a foot injury, catcher Chris Stewart did not start Sunday but was available off the bench.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: St. Louis begins a stretch in which it will play American League teams 12 of the next 15 games, beginning with two games Tuesday and Wednesday against the Astros. LHP Jaime Garcia (4-5, 3.89 ERA), who allowed a career-high 13 hits in a win Wednesday, starts Tuesday against Houston RHP Doug Fister (6-3, 3.34).

Pirates: For the first time in 32 days, the Pirates have a scheduled off day Monday. They will travel to New York to face the Mets from Tuesday through Thursday after taking two of three from the defending NL champions at PNC Park last week. Tuesday’s pitching matchup is Pittsburgh RHP Juan Nicasio (5-5, 5.34 ERA) vs. New York RHP Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.80).

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carlos Martinez came within two outs of his first career complete game and wasn’t upset after falling short.

If he keeps throwing like he did Saturday night, he’ll finish nine innings eventually.

Martinez notched his third consecutive win and Matt Holliday had a three-run homer among his three hits as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1.

The Cardinals won for the sixth time in seven games. Pittsburgh lost its fourth in a row.

Martinez (7-5) gave up one run and six hits in 8 1/3 innings before being lifted when the Pirates put runners on first and second with one out.

“I always want to go out there and do my work for all nine innings,” Martinez said. “That’s why I do all the extra work (between) starts, so I can stay strong and stay out there as long as possible.”

Trevor Rosenthal got two outs for his 12th save in 14 opportunities. He blew a save in the ninth inning Friday night in a game the Cardinals eventually won 9-3 in 12 innings.

“Crazy things happen to us in this park, so when they get it within that kind of distance, and Trevor can come in and shut the door, he’s going to,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

Matheny was impressed by Martinez, who threw 122 pitches in his 49th career start. He struck out five, walked three and induced three double-play grounders with a sinker that regularly reached 96 mph.

“It’s freakish to be able to throw that hard with that kind of movement,” Matheny said.

Before starting his winning streak, Martinez lost five straight starts.

“It really hasn’t any big changes,” Martinez said. “I’m just trying to stay focused and make small adjustments.”

Holliday’s 10th home run capped a four-run fifth inning against Francisco Liriano (4-6), who lost to the Cardinals for the just the third time in 10 decisions, and made it 4-0.

Holliday wanted to talk more about Martinez’s outing than his own hitting feats.

“He was still throwing 96 mph in the ninth inning with over 100 pitches and he has two plus breaking pitches,” Holliday said. “He’s got top two, top three stuff in the league. He’s got Cy Young-caliber stuff.”

Brandon Moss led off the fifth with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Jedd Gyorko struck out but reached first base on Chris Stewart’s passed ball. Two outs later, Aledmys Diaz walked and Holliday followed with a drive to right-center field.

“(Liriano) was pitching really well and he gives us fits,” Holliday said. “For us to get him for a four spot, obviously with the way Carlos was pitching, we felt pretty good at that point.

Moss had his fifth straight multihit game.

Liriano was pitching on extra rest as he started for the first time since June 3 but still fell to 1-5 in his last six outings. The left-hander gave up four runs — three unearned — and four hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.

“He was good in a lot of different places,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He repeated the delivery really well. Stayed on line throughout the delivery really well. Had a good mix of pitches throughout the game.”

Starling Marte had three hits and is 14 for 34 (.412) against the Cardinals this season.

Jhonny Peralta’s RBI single in the seventh extended the Cardinals’ lead to 5-0. The Pirates got their run in the bottom half when Gregory Polanco doubled and scored on Josh Harrison’s sacrifice fly.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli was put on the 15-day disabled list after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand. He is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks. Stewart is likely to get the bulk of the playing time behind the plate, though he left the game in the seventh inning with left ankle discomfort. … RHP Gerrit Cole (strained right triceps) underwent an MRI exam on Saturday after leaving Friday night in the third inning. The Pirates expect to receive the results Sunday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake (4-4, 4.22 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday in the finale of the three-game series. He is 7-1 in his last 16 starts at Pittsburgh, dating to Sept. 11, 2012.

Pirates: LHP Jon Niese (6-2, 3.95) is 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in his last five starts. He pitched seven shutout innings in his previous outing Tuesday to beat the New York Mets.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pitcher Adam Wainwright, pinch-hitting because the Cardinals were out of position players, hit a two-run, two-out double to spark a six-run 12th inning as St. Louis beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-3 on Friday night.

Wainwright batted for reliever Jonathan Broxton after Matt Carpenter drew a two-out walk from Juan Nicasio and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle decided to intentionally walk Alemdys Diaz to bring up Broxton’s spot in the order.

Wainwright followed with a drive to the gap in left-center to score both runners. He is hitting .261 this season, going 6 for 23 with four doubles, one triple and one home run.

The Cardinals added four more runs in the inning. Matt Adams hit an RBI double to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and scored on Jhonny Peralta’s single before Brandon Moss’ two-run homer, his 14th, capped the outburst.

Broxton (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings as the Cardinals (33-28) won for the fifth time in six games, moved a season-high five games over .500 and snapped a second-place tie with the Pirates in the NL Central. St. Louis, though, trails the first-place Cubs by nine games.

Nicasio (5-5) was charged with six runs in one inning after beating the New York Mets in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday when he allowed one run in five innings as a starter.

The Pirates scored a run off Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score 3-3 when Starling Marte hit a leadoff triple and scored on Jordy Mercer’s one-out single.

The Cardinals went ahead 3-2 in the eighth inning on Carpenter’s three-run home run, his 10th, off Neftali Feliz. They had been blanked on two hits through the first seven innings.

Carpenter had two hits to run his hitting streak to seven games. Peralta and Moss also had two hits.

Marte had two hits for the Pirates, who scored their first two runs on Josh Harrison’s force out grounder in the third inning and John Jaso’s single in the fifth.

St. Louis’ Michael Wacha pitched well but remained winless in nine starts since April 23 when Rosenthal blew the save. Wacha’s personal losing streak remained at six games though he gave up two runs and three hits while striking out five and walking three.

Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole left in the third inning with right triceps tightness. Catcher Francisco Cervelli left in the next inning with a sore left hand.

Cole was removed after giving up a leadoff single to Carpenter. He was relieved by AJ Schugel after not allowing a run in two-plus innings. Cole gave up two hits and one walk while walking three.

Schugel pitched four perfect innings and struck out four.

Cervelli left after swinging at the first pitch of his at-bat. Chris Stewart pinch-hit and remained in the game at catcher.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Carpenter (jammed finger on right hand) returned after leaving a 3-2 win at Cincinnati on Thursday night in the eighth inning . RHP Lance Lynn, who underwent Tommy John elbow ligament transplant surgery in November, is expected to be examined by the team’s medical staff later this month in St. Louis and also throw in front of the coaching staff.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (6-5, 3.76 ERA) will start Saturday night in the second game of the three-game series. Martinez has won consecutive starts after losing his previous five.

Pirates: LHP Francisco Liriano (4-5, 5.25) is 7-2 with a 2.41 ERA against the Cardinals in 14 career starts.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — A little vintage Adam Wainwright and another booed hit by Yadier Molina have the St. Louis Cardinals headed up.

Wainwright allowed only two hits in six innings, and Molina’s bases-loaded single snapped a tie in the eighth on Thursday night, sending the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 and yet another series win in their lopsided NL Central rivalry.

Molina’s third hit of the game led St. Louis to its fourth victory in five games. The Cardinals (32-28) are a season-high four games over .500, tied with the Pirates for second place, 10 games behind the Cubs.

St. Louis took two of three and has won 18 of its last 22 series with Cincinnati.

Wainwright’s slow start to the season was a part of the Cardinals’ struggles. He’s gotten his fastball back and has thrown five straight quality starts, with this one the best yet.

“It’s been building toward that,” Wainwright said. “That’s me out there. That’s exactly how I pitch.”

The Cardinal who gets booed the loudest in Cincinnati was in the middle of another comeback. His one-out single off Ross Ohlendorf (4-5) put St. Louis up 3-2 and drew jeers. Molina has been booed regularly at Great American Ball Park since a brawl that started between him and Brandon Phillips in 2010.

“Yadi’s been a Reds killer for years and years and years,” Wainwright said. “He’s the guy you want up there in the big spot.”

Molina also doubled and scored a run in the second inning, getting booed that time, too.

“Lately I’m feeling better,” said Molina, who came in batting .261.

Seung Hwan Oh (2-0) pitched one inning in relief of Wainwright, who was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh with two runners aboard and the score tied. Trevor Rosenthal retired the side in the ninth for his 11th save in 12 chances.

Matt Carpenter scored twice, including the go-ahead run after opening the eighth inning with a double.

Wainwright had a rough first inning, giving up Jay Bruce’s RBI groundout and Adam Duvall’s run-scoring single. He didn’t allow another hit before leaving in the seventh. Wainwright fanned a season-high nine.

Wainwright hasn’t had much success against the Reds. Coming into the game, he was 8-10 in 24 games against Cincinnati with a 4.51 ERA, his highest against any team except the Mets.

Molina doubled off Brandon Finnegan and scored on Brandon Moss’ single in the second inning. The Cardinals tied it with the help of a balk in the sixth. Carpenter walked, moved up on Finnegan’s balk on a throw to first base, and then came around on Aledmys Diaz’s single.

“Big call,” Reds manager Bryan Price said of the balk. “It didn’t look different to me from the naked eye. I’m not saying it wasn’t a balk, but I didn’t see it.”

MATHENY FUMES

With Cincinnati’s Tyler Holt on first base in the bottom of the eighth and one out, Ivan DeJesus, Jr. hit a fly to shallow right. Stephen Piscotty dived and appeared to catch the ball, but got to his knees and threw to second for what would have been a forceout in case the umpires ruled he trapped the ball.

Umpire Sean Barber called it a catch, but a review determined Piscotty trapped the ball and Holt was awarded second base. Manager Mike Matheny contended Holt would have been forced out and shouldn’t be awarded the base.

“It’s a joke,” Matheny said. “I can’t think of any rational reason that would be true in that situation. It just didn’t make sense.”

STATS

It was Wainwright’s 300th appearance, matching Steve Kline for 16th on the Cardinals career list. … Matt Adams pinch-hit in the ninth and singled, extending his hitting streak to nine games. … Brandon Phillips’ first-inning double extended his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest on the Reds this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Moss, who had two homers Wednesday night, started at 1B instead of Adams. Moss is 4 for 8 in his career off Finnegan with a homer.

Reds: CF Billy Hamilton was in the concussion protocol after being hit in the head while sliding into third base Wednesday night.

UP NEXT:

Cardinals: Michael Wacha (2-6) tries to snap the longest losing streak of his career in Pittsburgh. He’s lost six straight decisions since April 28. The last Cardinals pitcher to lose seven straight decisions was Kip Wells in 2007.

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani makes his first start of the season after recovering from a strained oblique suffered during spring training. He’ll open a series against Oakland.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Brandon Moss homered in consecutive at-bats, Matt Adams and Jhonny Peralta added three-run drives and the St. Louis Cardinals rolled over the Cincinnati Reds 12-7 Wednesday night.

Moss broke a 4-4, fifth-inning with a two-run drive into the right-field seats, then liner a solo homer that barely cleared the right-field wall in the seventh for his eighth career multihomer game.

Every St. Louis starting position player had at least one hit, and Cardinals relievers retired their first 10 batters as St. Louis won for the third time in four games.

Matt Bowman (1-1) got his first major league win by striking out his only batter, Zack Cozart, for the final out of the fifth with the potential tying run on second base.

Cozart and Tucker Barnhart hit solo home runs for the Reds, who have lost two of three after a season-high four-game winning streak.

Alfredo Simon (2-6) walked a season-high five, allowing six runs and seven hits in five innings. St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia gave up five runs and a career-high 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Cozart tied the score 4-4 in the fourth when he led off with his fourth homer in his last nine games. Barnhart cut the Cardinals’ lead to 6-5 with a two-out solo homer in the fifth after Billy Hamilton was thrown out by Garcia trying to steal third.

Peralta broke open the game in a four-run eighth with his first homer this season. Peralta was playing his second game after missing the Cardinals’ first 57 games following left thumb surgery.

TRAINING ROOM

Cardinals: C Brayan Pena, who hasn’t played this season while recovering from left knee surgery on April 5, caught four innings and went 0 for 2 with a groundout and a strikeout on Tuesday in the first game of an injury rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Springfield.

Reds: RHP Caleb Cotham, on the disabled list since May 31 with right shoulder inflammation, is working to eliminate the soreness, manager Bryan Price said. He has not been cleared to throw.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (5-4) is to make make his 300th career appearance in his start on Thursday at Cincinnati. Wainwright allowed a season-high seven earned runs and 10 hits, including five doubles, over 5 1/3 innings in a 9-8 loss on April 16.

Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (2-4) is Cincinnati’s scheduled starter in Thursday’s series wrapup. Finnegan’s win over Washington last Friday was his first in nine starts since April 16.

— Associated Press —

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto homered with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday night, powering the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals after they blew a five-run lead for the second straight day.

Votto connected off left-hander Kevin Siegrist (4-1) for his fifth career game-ending homer and Cincinnati’s third homer of the game. The Reds have won five of their last six games overall.

Cincinnati pulled ahead 6-1 with the help of Adam Duvall’s three-run homer off Mike Leake, his fourth homer in five games. The Reds got Duvall from the Giants as part of a trade for Leake last July, and the right-hander signed with St. Louis in the offseason.

Left-hander John Lamb shut down the Cardinals with his 65 mph curveball, allowing only one earned run in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. That’s when the major leagues’ worst bullpen let another late lead get away.

Blake Wood gave up Jhonny Peralta’s bases-loaded double in the eighth, cutting it to 6-4. Matt Carpenter tied it with a one-out, two-run double in the ninth off Tony Cingrani (1-2), the Reds’ 12th blown save in 19 chances this season.

Duvall hit his 17th homer off Leake, the second-highest total in the NL. He hit his first career homer off Leake with the Giants in 2014.

Leake had allowed only six runs in his last five games, but had a tough time against a team on its best hitting tear of the season. He gave up six runs in 6 1/3 innings, including Billy Hamilton’s second homer. In its last seven games, Cincinnati has scored 62 runs.

WELCOME BACK

The Cardinals activated Peralta off the DL and started him at third base. He had two doubles in four at-bats.

MOVES

The Reds optioned RHP Jon Moscot to Triple-A Louisville after two rough starts. OF Steve Selsky was called up, giving the Reds another option off the bench. Reserve Jordan Pacheco has been limited by a sore shoulder.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: C Brayan Pena started a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield. Pena hurt his left knee and had surgery during spring training. … RHP Seth Maness, who’s on the DL with a sore pitching elbow, will start a rehab assignment at Springfield on Wednesday.

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani threw in the bullpen without a problem. He’s on track to make his first start of the season on Friday against Oakland. He’s been on the DL all season with a strained oblique.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia is 10-4 career against the Reds, matching Oliver Perez for the most victories over Cincinnati by an active pitcher.

Reds: Alfredo Simon is 3-1 in his career against the Cardinals, winning his last two decisions.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — For the second straight day, the St. Louis Cardinals rallied against the hottest team in the majors.

Aledmys Diaz, Matt Adams and Yadier Molina each had an RBI during a four-run sixth inning and the Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3 on Sunday night.

“We never feel like we’re out of it and tonight was a good example,” said leadoff man Matt Carpenter, who had three hits and an RBI. “We can score a bunch of runs and we can do it in a lot of different ways.”

Editor’s Picks

Matt Carpenter helps the Cardinals grind out a tough series

Matt Carpenter has been the spark recently in the Cardinals’ offense and his sixth-inning double helped key a St. Louis comeback.

On Saturday, they homered four times in nine at-bats and scored seven straight runs in a 7-4 victory. This time it was three hits, a walk, a hit batter and an error.

Starter Carlos Martinez said he stayed in the dugout after being taken out so he’d have a good view of the comeback.

“I feel I did a really good job of staying in the game and getting out of situations,” Martinez said through an interpreter. “I’m always positive.”

Carpenter is batting .429 (15 for 35) with eight extra-base hits since returning from paternity leave.

“This game’s such a game of ups and downs and flows and hot streaks and cold streaks,” Carpenter said. “I’m going through a stretch right now where I’m seeing the ball good.”

The tiebreaking run came on an RBI fielder’s choice with the bases loaded by Molina, who entered the at-bat in an 0-for-20 skid. Shortstop Brandon Crawford made an error on the play when he dropped the ball on the exchange trying to flip to second to start a double play.

Jarrett Parker hit a two-run homer for the NL West-leading Giants, who have lost two straight for the first time since May 8-10 when they dropped three in a row. Despite dropping the weekend series, the Giants are a major league-best 18-6 since May 11.

Martinez (6-5) allowed three runs in six innings and Trevor Rosenthal earned his 10th save in 11 chances.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy used three relievers in the sixth trying to preserve the lead for Jake Peavy (2-6), who missed a chance at his 150th career victory.

“I was going to use my guys to try and stop it there,” Bochy said. “I thought that was the ballgame. They did a good piece of hitting that inning.”

Peavy allowed four runs in five innings. His next shot at No. 150 will be next Sunday, due to off days that will mean extra rest for all of the pitchers.

“It just stinks that we couldn’t find a way to stop the bleeding,” Peavy said. “I certainly didn’t and things obviously didn’t get any better after I left, unfortunately.”

Parker, who started all three games in the series in place of injured Hunter Pence, snapped a 2-for-19 slump with his second homer in the fourth for a 2-1 lead. A hit, walk and run-scoring groundout by Crawford made it 3-1 in the sixth.

WILD STATS

Martinez threw three wild pitches after entering with three on the year.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: Hunter Pence (hamstring) will undergo surgery Thursday in Dallas and is expected to miss eight weeks. … Matt Cain (hamstring) threw a second bullpen session Sunday and is likely to throw a simulated game Wednesday.

Cardinals: SS Jhonny Peralta (thumb) returned to St. Louis after going 0 for 4 and playing 3B for Class A Palm Beach and is expected to be activated off the 15-day DL on Tuesday. Peralta will play 3B due to the emergence of Diaz.

REST TIME

Giants C Buster Posey got a routine day off. He’s in a 2-for-24 slump.

UP NEXT

Giants: Albert Suarez (1-1, 3.18) makes his second career start Tuesday in the opener of a two-game series against the Red Sox. He’s filling in for Cain.

Cardinals: Mike Leake (4-4, 3.82) makes his first career appearance against the Reds on Tuesday to start a six-game trip. He’s 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA his last five outings.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Aledmys Diaz got the green light on 3-0. It was no big surprise, considering how much the rookie has meant to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Diaz lined a tying, three-run shot off the foul pole in the fifth inning, one of four homers in a span of nine at-bats against Jeff Samardzija, and the Cardinals rallied past the San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Saturday night.

“I just knew it was pretty close and I kept running,” Diaz said. “I looked at the umpire and he said, `fair ball,’ so that’s good.”

Brandon Moss got the long-ball binge started with his 11th leading off the fifth. Stephen Piscotty and Matt Adams hit consecutive homers in a matter of three pitches to open the sixth for a 6-4 cushion.

The 25-year-old Diaz got the starting shortstop job after Ruben Tejada was injured at the end of spring training and will stay there when Jhonny Peralta returns next week. He’s batting .324 with eight homers, 29 RBI.

“It’s not just a one-size-fits-all when you get to a 3-0 green light,” manager Mike Matheny said. “It didn’t look like he tried to do too much, because at times you’ll see a 400-foot shot pulled foul when a guy gets too big on an advantage count.”

The rally rescued Michael Wacha, who left trailing 4-0 after five seemingly on track for a seventh consecutive loss. Wacha has allowed 23 earned runs in his last 23 innings.

“I had a good feel for it,” Wacha said. “I just gave up some untimely doubles and triples, but overall I know I’ve just got to trust the process.”

Samardzija (7-4) had given up five homers in 80 innings all season, and just one in his previous five outings. He opened with four routine innings, permitting three singles and no runner past first base.

“You’ve got a four-run lead there, you’ve got to make it stick,” Samardzija said. “So, that hurts.”

Manager Bruce Bochy said Samardzija, who allowed 29 homers season last season to lead the American League, simply lost command.

“He was cruising there,” Bochy said. “Balls started drifting toward the center of the plate.”

Tyler Lyons (2-0), Seung Hwan Oh and Kevin Siegrist each worked a hitless inning before Trevor Rosenthal set the side down in order in the ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances.

Diaz was sitting on a 3-0 pitch for his eighth homer that banged off the foul pole just below the third deck in left, a drive estimated at 426 feet. Piscotty and Adams have seven homers apiece.

“A lot of things happened there, guys keeping it moving,” Matheny said. “Just a great at-bat. Diaz continues to impress us.”

Joe Panik doubled twice with an RBI, Brandon Crawford doubled and tripled and Samardzija had an RBI single for the NL West-leading Giants, who are 18-5 in their last 23 games.

“You’re going to have games like that,” Crawford said. “It did happen pretty fast, though.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: Matt Cain (hamstring) is scheduled to throw his second bullpen session Sunday. If all goes well, he could throw a simulated game Wednesday that could be the final test before returning to the rotation. Cain threw 20 pitches off a mound on Friday.

Cardinals: Peralta (thumb) remains on track to be activated from the DL on Tuesday. He started Saturday for Class A Palm Beach, but will likely primarily play at 3B when he returns due to the emergence of Diaz.

GET A HIT

Wacha had been 0 for 19 with 10 strikeouts this year before a swinging bunt single in the third.

UP NEXT

Giants: Jake Peavy (2-5, 6.34) is coming off his best start, pitching one-hit ball for seven innings against Atlanta. The right-hander will get extra rest due to off days for the team and pitch again in next Sunday’s nationally televised game.

Cardinals: Carlos Martinez (5-5, 3.69) struck out eight in eight scoreless innings his last start at Milwaukee, ending a career-worst five-game losing streak.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Johnny Cueto worked around a season-worst five walks to post his ninth win, tying for the major league lead, as the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Friday night.

Cueto (9-1) allowed a run on four hits in six innings with one strikeout. He hadn’t walked more than two in any of his first 11 starts for his new team.

Cueto is among four nine-game winners, joining Stephen Strasburg, Jake Arrieta and Chris Sale. Six of Cueto’s victories have come on the road.

Five Giants relievers combined to give up just one hit.

Adam Wainwright (5-4) allowed two runs in seven innings. The Cardinals were held to one run for the second straight game.

The Giants bunched three straight two-strike hits in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead, with RBI by Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford.

Denard Span had a two-run single and Matt Duffy squeezed home a run in a three-run ninth, capitalizing on three straight walks to open the inning by Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal.

The NL West leaders are a major league-best 18-4 since May 11.

Cueto is 5-0 with a 0.99 ERA his last six starts, working at least six innings and allowing two or fewer runs in each of them. He’d entered 2-4 with a 5.71 ERA in 10 previous starts in St. Louis.

Wainwright had been 5-0 in his previous seven starts.

Stephen Piscotty had an RBI single in the third but the Cardinals left the bases loaded when Randal Grichuk tapped out, with Cueto making a nice play and throw just in time.

UP NEXT

Giants: Jeff Samardzija (7-3, 2.84) lost his last outing, allowing four earned runs in five innings against Atlanta.

Cardinals: Michael Wacha (2-6, 4.99) is 1-0 with a 0.47 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco. Wacha has lost his last six decisions.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: OF Hunter Pence will undergo surgery for a right hamstring and is likely out eight weeks. The last two seasons, they’re 62-36 with Pence and 57-64 without him.

Cardinals: Jhonny Peralta (thumb) is likely to be activated Tuesday in Cincinnati and will primarily play 3B when he returns given the emergence of rookie SS Aledmys Diaz, with Matt Carpenter playing more 2B. C Brayan Pena (knee) begins a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield on Tuesday.

NO DEAL

The Cardinals didn’t consider sending SS Ruben Tejada, waived earlier this week, to the minors because they’re so well-stocked at the position. GM John Mozeliak said when Peralta returns “the reality is it’s going to get more sloppy.”

— Associated Press —