ST. LOUIS -- If it was Matt Holliday's last at-bat with the St. Louis Cardinals, he sure picked a fine way to go out.

Informed after being activated from the 15-day disabled list Friday that it was unlikely that the team would pick up his club option for the 2017 season, Holliday pinch-hit a homer in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday night, helping cap an important 7-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis is one game behind San Francisco for the second wild-card spot in the National League with two to play.

Holliday, who hadn't played in a game since fracturing his right thumb Aug. 11 when hit by a pitch by the Chicago Cubs' Mike Montgomery, ripped an 0-2 pitch from Zach Phillips 382 feet into the St. Louis bullpen in right-center.

Holliday rounded the bases with tears in his eyes, stopping a step past home plate to hug Matt Carpenter. He then embraced catcher Yadier Molina in front of the dugout, as well as starting pitcher Carlos Martinez, and took a curtain call as the crowd of 43,070 roared.

"I think the crowd would have kept clapping all night if the umpire had let them," Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright said.

Holliday wasn't around to talk after the game, but did say in a statement earlier Friday that playing for St. Louis the last 7 1/2 years -- he was acquired in a deadline deal from Oakland in 2009 -- was a dream come true.

"The most emotional part of this is my teammates and the relationships I've built with some of these guys over the years," he said in the statement. "Particularly, Adam and Yadi, to be considered part of the core with two of the finest human beings I've ever known."

It was the 20th homer of the season for Holliday, making him the eighth active player to hit 20 or more homers in 10 straight years. It also extended the team's major league record for pinch-hit homers in a season to 17 and gave the Cardinals six players with 20 homers, setting a team record and tying the National League record.

Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle, who managed Holliday as he was becoming a star in Colorado, admitted the moment was special for him.

"The career for him is not over," Hurdle said. "What a reception he got in this baseball town ... I've seen him do it before. He's earned the numbers on the back of his baseball card."

Carlos Martinez (16-9) blanked the Pirates (78-81) on five hits over seven innings, walking one and fanning nine. Martinez has allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine starts.

Rookie right-hander Tyler Glasnow (0-2) matched Martinez pitch-for-pitch over five innings, with the exception of a meaty 2-0 fastball that Jedd Gyorko launched 393 feet to left field for his 29th homer in the third inning.

Glasnow gave up just that one hit, working around four walks and a hit batter while whiffing four. But St. Louis feasted on relievers Trevor Williams and Phillips to turn the game into a laugher.

Molina and Stephen Piscotty reached Williams for RBI doubles after Aledmys Diaz reached on an error by first baseman John Jaso in the sixth. Brandon Moss capped the four-run rally with his 28th homer, a two-run shot to right that made it 5-0.

After Holliday's emotional homer, the Cardinals capped the scoring when Molina's double play grounder chased Carpenter home.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny admitted he still had chills from the crowd's reaction to Holliday's at-bat.

"Amazing, very special," Matheny said. "It meant a great deal to him, probably more than words can describe."

NOTES: The game was delayed by rain for 47 minutes before St. Louis batted in the eighth inning. ... Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte (lower back) won't play this weekend, according to manager Clint Hurdle. Marte has missed 21 of the last 24 games. ... St. Louis has opted to start RHP Michael Wacha Saturday, his first start since Aug. 8. Wacha replaces Jaime Garcia, who has lost five straight decisions.