ST. LOUIS (AP) - Rookie Kolten Wong gave the St. Louis Cardinals their second straight game-winning ninth-inning home run, connecting off Ernesto Frieri with two outs for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.
Frieri (1-1) got two routine outs before Wong, batting eighth, hit his third homer on a full count.
The drive over the right-field wall, which was estimated at 420 feet, was the first game-winning homer of Wong's career and it came a night after Matt Adams hit his first winner off Justin Wilson in a 2-0 victory.
The Cardinals last had consecutive game-winning homers when Albert Pujols twice beat the Cubs on June 4 and 5, 2011.
Wong also gave the Cardinals the early lead with a two-run double in the second.
Trevor Rosenthal (1-4) struck out Starling Marte on three pitches with two on to end the ninth.
Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen hit two-run homers off Carlos Martinez, in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, and McCutchen's 14th of the season put them up 4-2. Alvarez has 100 career homers with 14 homers and 47 RBIs against St. Louis, most of any opponent.
Matt Holliday had been 2 for 14 on the homestand before tying it with a two-run double off Vance Worley in the fifth. He batted second the previous 14 games while battling a slump and returned to his usual third slot Wednesday, taking a called third strike and bouncing out before the double.
Martinez allowed four runs in six innings, the longest of his five starts this season. Worley lasted five innings, the shortest of his five starts this season with Pittsburgh.
NOTES: Rookie Gregory Polanco singled his first three trips for Pittsburgh. ... The Pirates are expected to recall Brandon Cumpton (3-0, 4.61) from Triple-A Indianapolis Wednesday to start in place of Gerrit Cole against the Cardinals' Lance Lynn (9-6, 3.17). Cole will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a tight lat muscle. Cumpton beat the Cardinals in his major league debut last season, throwing seven scoreless innings. The Pirates consider Cole's injury minor and he was due to play catch Tuesday. ... Pirates manager Clint Hurdle unsuccessfully challenged after Neil Walker tripled in the fifth, but was then picked off by catcher Yadier Molina in the fifth.
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