CHICAGO (AP) — Yadier Molina hit a bases-loaded triple off David Robertson with two out in the eighth inning, sending the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.

Randal Grichuk singled, Matt Holliday was hit by a pitch and Jason Heyward reached on catcher’s interference before Molina drove a 2-2 pitch into the corner in right for his third hit of the game.

It was the first triple for the All-Star catcher since May 22, 2011, and No. 4 for his career.

Miguel Socolovich (4-1) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win.

Kevin Siegrist struck out Adam LaRoche with runners on the corners for the final out in the eighth, and Trevor Rosenthal finished for his 29th save in 31 chances.

St. Louis (60-34) has won four of five heading into a season-long 11-game homestand beginning on Thursday night against Kansas City.

It was another heartbreaking loss for the last-place White Sox (42-50), who have dropped four straight and six of seven. Zach Duke (3-4) got two outs in the eighth before he was replaced by Robertson, and Tyler Flowers struck out three times in addition to his costly miscue behind the plate that put Heyward on in the eighth.

John Danks pitched 6 2/3 innings of five-hit ball for Chicago, extending his scoreless streak to 12 2/3 innings over his last two starts. The left-hander struck out five and walked none.

Danks and Lance Lynn were locked up in a scoreless duel before Chicago pushed across two runs in the sixth, helped by a miscue for Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta. With runners on first and second and no outs, Peralta juggled Tyler Saladino’s potential double-play grounder as he tried to get the ball out of his glove, leaving no chance for second baseman Kolten Wong to get the speedy rookie at first.

Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera followed with consecutive RBI singles, lifting the White Sox to a 2-0 lead. Lynn then struck out Avisail Garcia and retired LaRoche on a fly ball to the warning track in center.

Lynn retired his first eight batters, but consecutive hits for Carlos Sanchez and Adam Eaton put runners on second and third with two out in the third. Saladino then looked at a called third strike, ending the inning.

The Cardinals had the same opportunity in the fifth, putting runners on second and third with two down, but Danks retired Wong on a fly ball to center for the final out.

SLUMPING

LaRoche went 0 for 4 and is batting .148 (8 for 54) with no homers and two RBI in July.

“It’s confusing, frustrating,” LaRoche said before the game. “I’ll go and figure it out for an at-bat or two, and then it’s gone, where in the past I’ve been able to figure it out and maybe hold onto it for a while.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Holliday was the designated hitter for the second straight day. The All-Star was activated from the disabled list on Friday after being sidelined by a strained right quadriceps, but he hasn’t been cleared to run full speed yet. “I think it’s getting closer and better every day,” manager Mike Matheny said. “A couple of days here as a DH have certainly been helpful. We’ll see when we get back home tomorrow. We’ll see what the doctors are saying.” … RHP Mitch Harris (right groin strain) pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP John Lackey (8-5, 2.90 ERA) gets the ball when St. Louis begins an 11-game homestand Thursday night against Kansas City in the makeup of a June 14 rainout. RHP Chris Young (8-5, 3.03 ERA) starts for the Royals in a matchup of the teams with the best record in each league.

White Sox: RHP Jeff Samardzija (6-5, 4.08 ERA) makes what could be his final start for Chicago when the White Sox open a four-game series at Cleveland on Thursday night. Samardzija is a possible trade target ahead of the July 31 non-waiver deadline. RHP Trevor Bauer (8-6, 4.03 ERA) pitches for the Indians.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Holliday hit his sixth career grand slam, powering Michael Wacha and the St. Louis Cardinals past the Chicago White Sox 8-5 on Tuesday night.

Holliday homered for the first time since May 12. He returned last Friday after missing 31 games because of a strained right quadriceps.

Holliday connected in the fourth inning for his fourth homer. Mark Reynolds added a solo shot in the fifth.

Wacha (11-3) gave up five runs in five innings. Trevor Rosenthal pitched the ninth for his 28th save in 30 chances.

Stephen Piscotty, St. Louis’ top hitting prospect, made his major league debut playing left field. He had an infield single in four at-bats and struck out twice.

Carlos Rodon (3-3) was tagged for seven hits in four innings as the Cardinals built a 7-0 lead. Chicago lost its third in a row.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The New York Mets left 25 men on base and went 1-for-26 with runners in scoring position. In the end, they still managed to pull out a win.

Ruben Tejada hit a sacrifice fly in the 18th inning and the Mets outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 Sunday in the second-longest game this season.

Boston beat the New York in 19 innings in April. In this one, it took 5 hours, 55 minutes for the Mets to top the NL Central-leading Cardinals and avoid a three-game sweep.

The Mets and Cardinals had already played one marathon game in 2015. New York beat St. Louis 2-1 on May 18 in 14 innings. Sunday’s contest was the third-longest game ever between the teams.

After Tejada’s bases-loaded fly gave New York the lead, Eric Campbell drove in another run with a squeeze bunt.

“Weird stat,” Campbell said. “Not something to be proud of but you get the ‘W’ and it makes everything else better.”

New York loaded the bases in the 18th on singles by Wilmer Flores and Curtis Granderson followed by a sacrifice from Plawecki that Martinez didn’t cleanly handle. Tejada followed with his deep fly and Campbell then bunted.

The game was scoreless until both teams got a run in the 13th.

Carlos Torres (3-4), the seventh Mets pitcher, gave up one hit in two innings.

Carlos Martinez (10-4), who was scheduled to start on Tuesday night, was pressed into relief and was the Cardinals’ eighth pitcher. He allowed five hits and four walks in four innings.

“We were trying to stay away from Martinez but it got to the point where it was not possible,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “We needed him to come in and pitch some tough innings.”

The Mets got 16 hits and drew 13 walks. Kevin Plawecki hit an RBI single for their lone run until the 18th.

The Cardinals got 13 hits, including Kolten Wong’s leadoff homer in the 13th inning, and five walks. St. Louis went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

“We just couldn’t push it across when we needed,” Matheny said. “It’s a shame but they just kept coming.”

New York put at least one runner on base in every inning except the first and had runners in scoring position in all nine extra innings. The futile hitting with runners in scoring position was the majors’ worst since at least 1974.

The Mets’ total of stranded runners tied the third-most in major league history and they became the first team since Kansas City on June 6, 1991, to leave as many runners on and still win. Only Philadelphia (27) in 1973 and San Diego (26) in 1979 left more runners stranded in a game — and both teams lost.

“That’s not good,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “We aren’t happy about that. Neither are some of the guys that left them on. I’ve never seen more flying helmets in my life.”

Mets starter Jonathon Niese gave up five hits in 7⅔ innings. Cardinals rookie Tim Cooney pitched three-hit ball for 5⅔ innings.

Granderson doubled in the 13th and scored on Plawecki’s single off Carlos Villanueva.

Wong tied it with his homer off Jeurys Familia. Jhonny Peralta singled with one out and went to third on a two-out double by Yadier Molina before Familia struck out Tommy Pham to extend the game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: OF Michael Cuddyer said after the game he might have to go on the disabled list if his sore left knee doesn’t respond to treatment scheduled for Monday. He left the game in the bottom of the eighth after singling in the top of the inning.

Cardinals: OF Jason Heyward didn’t start after exiting Saturday night’s game because of leg cramps. Heyward also has been dealing with a head cold that Matheny said has been making the rounds through the clubhouse. Heyward later pinch hit.

UP NEXT

Mets: Trailing Washington by two games in the NL East, New York opens a three-game series Monday at Nationals Park. Matt Harvey has not allowed a run in 13 innings while beating the Nationals twice this season. Gio Gonzalez starts for the Nats.

Cardinals: Have their last off day in July before opening a two-game series at Chicago against the White Sox on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jason Heyward was on base so much in 93-degree heat, the body finally gave in.

“I was cramping all over,” Heyward said after matching a career best with five hits as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 12-2 on Saturday night. “I haven’t been feeling well the last few days.”

Both Heyward and manager Mike Matheny said there was “zero” concern going forward. Heyward told trainers and Matheny he could have stayed in if the game was closer.

Randal Grichuk had two homers and six RBI and John Lackey worked seven strong innings for St. Louis, benefiting from the cushion.

“I definitely pitched to the scoreboard a little bit,” Lackey said. “Trying to challenge guys, trying to throw strikes and trying to keep the momentum going, trying to get those guys back in the dugout to hit.”

Mets starter Bartolo Colon (9-8) trailed by four runs after just one-third of an inning and surrendered seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. The 42-year-old right-hander was roughed up by the Cardinals for the second time, giving up eight runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 9-0 loss May 20.

“That wasn’t the Bartolo Colon we’ve known,” manager Terry Collins said. “That guy has only walked nine guys all year, let alone the first guy of the game.”

Colon said through an interpreter that the Cardinals capitalized on his tendency to go after hitters.

“They were really aggressive and attacked my pitches,” Colon said. “They know I’m going to be aggressive in the zone and they took advantage of it.

Heyward has seven hits, including a triple and double, two RBI and two steals in the first two games of the series. He was removed after singling in the eighth.

Grichuk was 3 for 3 with a two-run homer off Carlos Torres that capped a four-run fifth and a three-run shot off Alex Torres in the eighth.

Jhonny Peralta added three hits and an RBI. St. Louis improved to major league-bests of 58-33 overall and 33-11 at home.

The Cardinals scored four in the first, fifth and eighth.

Lackey (8-5) scattered 10 hits, one of them to .084-hitting Colon, but was hurt only by Michael Cuddyer’s eighth homer leading off the sixth. The 36-year-old right-hander is 4-1 with a 1.63 ERA his last seven starts, working seven or more innings in all but one of them.

Cuddyer had three hits and Ruben Tejada added an RBI double in the eighth for New York. Cuddyer has five career homers against Lackey, his most against any pitcher.

Colon got a visit from pitching coach Dan Warthen after facing just seven hitters and already down 3-0. He’s lost his last four decisions, posting a 6.18 ERA in that span, although he allowed two earned runs in 13 innings his last two starts prior to the break.

“This year they’ve been lucky, they’ve been good,” Colon said. “I was lucky enough last year to beat them twice and this year they beat me twice.”

The Mets have homered in six straight games, scoring 17 of their 19 runs via the long ball.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Cuddyer says he’ll probably have to deal with a left knee bone bruise the rest of the season.

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (groin) and RHP Jordan Walden (bicep) threw side sessions.

UP NEXT

Mets: Jonathon Niese (5-8, 3.61) has won his last two starts and held left-handed hitters to one hit in 15 at-bats his last three. The Cardinals’ Mark Reynolds is 6 for 12 with two homers against Niese.

Cardinals: Rookie lefty Tim Cooney (0-0, 4.34) makes his fifth career start seeking his first decision.

IN THE HOUSE

WWE wrestler Randy Orton, in town for an event Sunday night, met with Cardinals players on the field during batting practice.

NOTABLE

Heyward also had five hits Sept. 26, 2013, against the Phillies while with Atlanta. … Grichuk also had two homers June 20 at Philadelphia. … Matt Adams was the last Cardinals player to drive in six runs June 23, 2014, at Colorado.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jhonny Peralta hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, Lance Lynn outdueled Noah Syndergaard and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.

Peralta, one of six St. Louis All-Stars, barely cleared the left-field fence on a two-out drive for his 14th homer. Kirk Nieuwenhuis made a leaping effort and his glove ticked the ball that landed in the Mets’ bullpen.

Curtis Granderson hit his fifth leadoff homer of the season for the Mets, who won four in a row before the All-Star break.

Trevor Rosenthal gave up Ruben Tejada’s RBI infield hit in the ninth, and the Mets had two on before he struck out pinch hitter John Mayberry Jr. for his 27th save.

Lynn (7-5) allowed a run and three hits in seven innings. Syndergaard (4-5) also worked seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals head into the All-Star break with the NL Central lead and the best record in the majors.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, however, have all the momentum.

Gregory Polanco capped another late rally, driving in Jung Ho Kang with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Pirates to a 6-5 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday night.

St. Louis took a 5-3 lead in the top of the 10th on a two-run double by Randal Grichuk off Arquimedes Caminero (1-1). Pittsburgh, which won in 14 innings on a homer by Andrew McCutchen on Saturday, did it again 24 hours later against St. Louis All-Star closer Trevor Rosenthal (1-2).

Starling Marte brought Pittsburgh within a run with an RBI single. Francisco Cervelli tied it with a single and Polanco followed two batters later with a looper to right that sent Kang streaking across the plate and the rest of the Pirates streaming out of the dugout after their second walk-off win in two nights.

“The way we came together at the end, kept our nose down, kept grinding at-bats, just looking for that big hit,” shortstop Jordy Mercer said. “We kept it going and the last two nights were amazing, a lot of fun.”

Pittsburgh took three of four from St. Louis to pull within 2½ games of the Cardinals heading to the All-Star break. Rosenthal blew a save for only the second time this season.

“That was Trevor coming at him with the best stuff he had tonight,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “He’s been worked hard. It’s not the same when you’ve been worked that hard.”

Rosenthal threw 27 pitches while working 1⅓ innings during Saturday’s marathon and was on his 29th pitch Sunday when Polanco delivered the first walk-off of his career.

“They’re hard ones to swallow,” Matheny said. “You have very few chances where you can put a game away. Had a few chances yesterday and again today.”

McCutchen’s career-best, 18-game hitting streak ended, but his teammates picked him up and brought the streaking Pirates — who trailed St. Louis by nine games on May 8 — within striking distance with 74 games to go.

“It was a big series for us to be able to scratch out some wins against a great club,” Mercer said. “They’re the top and we know that.”

A night after the Pirates rallied three times to stun St. Louis, they did it again with a bunch of role players chipping in while McCutchen went 0-for-5. Mercer and Cervelli each had two hits and eight of Pittsburgh’s nine starters had at least one.

Grichuk had three and Jhonny Peralta had three hits apiece for St. Louis, but the Cardinals went just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Still, St. Louis came within an out of a series split.

Pittsburgh’s normally reliable setup man Tony Watson came on in the eighth trying to preserve a 3-2 lead but struggled. Watson hit Kolten Wong with a pitch to start the inning, gave up a single to Peralta and loaded the bases when Mercer couldn’t handle a chopper by Jason Heyward. Wong tied it on a fielder’s choice by Yadier Molina, though Watson avoided further trouble by striking out Peter Bourjos with the bases loaded.

It stayed tied until the 10th when St. Louis went to work against Caminero. Grichuk delivered the big blow, a double to the gap in right-center. Mercer threw out Mark Reynolds as he tried to score from first on the play, a decision that would prove costly minutes later for the Cardinals.

“You don’t realize it at the time but it’s a big play,” Mercer said. “It helped us out.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: LF Matt Holliday hit some shag balls before Sunday night’s game. He will sit out Tuesday’s All-Star Game to give his injured quadriceps a little more rest but should be ready to play for the first time since June 8 when St. Louis opens the second half on Friday against the New York Mets.

Pirates: 1B Corey Hart had a setback in one of his knees while rehabbing a hip impingement and has been shut down. General manager Neal Huntington said Hart will rejoin the team in Pittsburgh and have the knee re-evaluated. Hart has been out since June 21.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: St. Louis will send five players to Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Cincinnati: pitchers Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and Rosenthal, as well as Molina and Peralta before beginning the second half of the season at home on Friday against the Mets. Lance Lynn (6-5, 2.90) will get the start. Lynn is 1-3 with a 3.42 ERA in six games against the Mets.

Pirates: Pittsburgh sends Gerrit Cole, whose 13 wins lead the majors, A.J. Burnett and Melancon to Cincinnati, as well as McCutchen. The team begins the second half on Friday at Milwaukee when Charlie Morton (6-2, 4.15 ERA) gets the start. Pittsburgh is 133-152 after the break under manager Clint Hurdle.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen’s two-run home run in the 14th inning capped Pittsburgh’s third rally of the night and helped the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Saturday night.

McCutchen’s homer to center off of Nick Greenwood (0-1) immediately followed Neil Walker’s leadoff single and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 18 games. It was his 12th home run of the season.

Jhonny Peralta’s single off Vance Worley (3-4) in the top of the inning drove in Matt Carpenter.

Pittsburgh scored twice in the eighth to tie the game after falling behind 3-0, and Chris Stewart singled in Jung Ho Kang in the 10th after Mark Reynolds’ second homer of the game had given St. Louis another lead in the top of the inning.

Kang and Pedro Alvarez had RBI singles in the eighth for the Pirates, who have won seven of eight and 10 of 12. Pittsburgh, which has the NL’s second-best record, lost the first three games of the season series with the Cardinals in extra innings in May.

Both of Reynolds’ homers came with no one on base and were pulled down the left-field line. The first of which — in the second inning — ultimately resulted in ejections of Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli and manager Clint Hurdle, who were upset home plate umpire Vic Carapazza ruled a foul tip on an 0-2 pitch immediately preceding the homer.

In a starters’ matchup of two of the six winningest active pitchers in the majors, The Cardinals’ John Lackey outdueled A.J. Burnett. Lackey allowed one run — a Burnett homer, his first in almost a decade — on five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings.

Burnett was looking to make his first All-Star game appearance Tuesday with a sub-2.00 ERA, but the three runs on six hits and three walks he allowed in 6 2/3 innings Saturday increased his ERA from 1.99 to 2.11.

UP NEXT

Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano has allowed more than three runs in just three of his 17 starts this season. However, that lone occasion came at PNC Park against the Cardinals, whom he will face in a nationally-televised game Sunday night. Pittsburgh has lost both of Liriano’s starts against St. Louis this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Mitch Harris was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday after sustaining a right groin strain while warming up in the bullpen Friday night. … All-star OF Matt Holliday, out since June 9 (right quad strain), did some running Saturday. “We’re just trying to pace it now, get him ready to play when we get back (from the break) against New York,” manager Mike Matheny said.

Pirates: OF Starling Marte returned to the lineup Saturday after missing the previous five games because of discomfort in his left side. The team leader in home runs, Marte batted cleanup.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gerrit Cole ended a dominant first half of the season with another win.

Cole pitched seven strong innings to become the major leagues’ first 13-game winner and Neil Walker had a two-run homer among his three hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 on Friday night.

“I feel good. I feel strong. I feel healthy,” Cole said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better every time out in some area.”

Cole (13-3) allowed two runs — both on Matt Carpenter’s third-inning home run — and six hits while striking out three and walking two. He became just the second Pirates pitcher to win 13 games before the All-Star break, joining Dock Ellis, who had 14 in 1971.

“He’s found out, even this year, that misexecuted pitches can have some bad results,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of the 24-year-old Cole. “You’ve got to meet the challenges of the game and he’s continued to do that through his first half in very strong fashion.”

Walker’s home run, his seventh, extended the Pirates’ lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning.

Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth for his National League-leading 29th save in 30 opportunities.

The Pirates (51-35) won for the sixth time in seven games and drew within 4 1/2 games of the Cardinals (56-31) in the NL Central in the second of a four-game series between the teams with the best records in the major leagues.

“It’s still July so you don’t want to get too wrapped up in talking about a pennant race,” Walker said. “But the Cardinals are obviously a good team and they’ve been playing great all year. If we’re going to catch them, we’re going to have to beat them when we play them because you can’t count on other teams beating them, as good as they are.”

Jung Ho Kang and Jordy Mercer each had two of the Pirates’ 10 hits.

Lance Lynn (6-5) lasted just four innings and lost for the first time in seven starts. He was tagged for five runs and nine hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Lynn has beaten the Pirates only once in his last nine starts.

“I kept falling behind the count and throwing pitches over the middle of plate,” Lynn said. “You can’t do that against any team, especially a good team like the Pirates because they’re a great fastball-hitting team.”

The Cardinals’ Jhonny Peralta and rookie Tommy Pham had two hits apiece.

The Pirates went ahead 3-2 in the third inning on RBI singles by Kang and Pedro Alvarez.

Carpenter’s ninth homer put the Cardinals ahead 2-1 in the top of the third, coming after a double by Pham.

Mercer doubled home the game’s first run in the first inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Decided to keep RF Matt Holliday (strained right quadriceps) on the DL until they return from the All-Star break on July 17 after considering activating him to serve as a pinch-hitter in this series. … RHP Matt Belisle (right elbow inflammation) has started a throwing program and could return by the end of the month.

Pirates: LF Starling Marte (strained left oblique) sat out his fifth straight game but is making enough progress that he might avoid the DL.

UP NEXT:

Cardinals RHP John Lackey (7-5 3.09) faces RHP A.J. Burnett (7-3, 1.99) on Saturday night. Lackey has made five straight quality starts with a 1.75 ERA in that span. Burnett has a 1.66 ERA in his last six starts.

— Associated Press —