Adam Wainwright once again dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday afternoon, when the 39-year-old right-hander continued his renaissance by allowing just two hits over eight scoreless innings as the Cardinals avoided being swept by the visitors with a 3-0 victory in the finale of a three-game series.

The Cardinals, who entered Sunday 4 1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres in the race for the second National League wild card, have lost four of six following a six-game winning streak.

The Pirates fell to 4-16 this month.

Wainwright (12-7) walked none and struck out nine while going at least eight scoreless innings for the major league-leading fourth time and lowering his ERA to 3.10. He has not finished with an ERA below 3.00 in a full season since 2014.

On Sunday, Wainwright surrendered just a bunt single to Gregory Polanco in the second and Kevin Newman's double to left with one out in the fifth. Wainwright retired nine in a row between hits and the final 11 batters he faced.

Wainwright, who tossed a two-hit shutout against the Pirates on Aug. 11, is the first pitcher to blank Pittsburgh over at least seven innings while allowing two or fewer hits in consecutive starts in the same season.

Tom Seaver, Randy Wolf, Roy Halladay and Jake Arrieta all allowed two or fewer hits while twirling at least seven scoreless innings in back-to-back outings against the Pirates, but they each did so over a two-season span.

Wainwright's longtime batterymate, Yadier Molina, had an RBI single in the first. Paul Goldschmidt homered in the fifth and Harrison Bader added a run-scoring single in the eighth.

Molina, Goldschmidt and Lars Nootbaar had two hits apiece.

Alex Reyes wriggled out of trouble in the ninth to earn his 28th save. Ke'Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds delivered consecutive two-out singles before Nootbaar made a leaping catch just in front of the right field wall to rob Colin Moran of a run-scoring hit.

Steven Brault (0-2) allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out one over four innings.

--Field Level Media