Cardinals 3, Pirates 2: John Lackey threw seven innings of one-run ball and Matt Holliday delivered a tie-breaking two-run single as visiting St. Louis claimed the opener of the three-game series.

Lackey (13-8) limited the Pirates to seven hits to record his fourth quality start in five outings since the Cardinals acquired him from Boston, and Trevor Rosenthal survived the ninth for his 39th save. Holliday and Kolten Wong each had two hits for St. Louis, which remained 1 1/2 games behind National League Central-leading Milwaukee while strengthening its grip on the top wild-card spot.

Andrew McCutchen homered among three hits and Pedro Alvarez also went deep for Pittsburgh, which remained 1 1/2 games behind San Francisco for the second wild card. The Pirates grounded into three double plays and ran themselves into another, as Alvarez was caught stealing after Starling Marte swung through strike three in the fourth.

Alvarez gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the second inning with his 18th home run — his first at home since June 29 — and starter Francisco Liriano made it stand up for six innings. Liriano got an inning-ending double play ball from Oscar Taveras to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth but left after Wong's infield single leading off the seventh, and the bullpen couldn't hold the lead.

Even after picking off Wong at first, Jared Hughes (6-4) gave up a single and a walk before Jon Jay's pinch-hit RBI single tied it and Holliday's two-run single put St. Louis ahead. McCutchen led off the ninth with a drive to left off Rosenthal and the Pirates got the tying run to second with two outs, but Marte flew out to end the threat.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Pirates optioned rookie OF Gregory Polanco to Triple-A Indianapolis and recalled OF Jose Tabata. Polanco was in the midst of a 1-for-30 slump. … Holliday extended his hitting streak to seven games while Taveras had his six-game streak snapped with an 0-for-4 night. … Liriano struck out eight and allowed four hits and three walks over six-plus scoreless innings but ran his winless streak to five starts.