Pirates 9, Cardinals 0: Jeff Locke pitched seven shutout innings and Russell Martin hit two homers, lifting visiting Pittsburgh in the rubber game of a three-game series at St. Louis.

Locke (3-1) allowed three hits for the Pirates, who have won eight of their past 10 and moved one-half game ahead of the Cardinals atop the NL Central. Martin hit a solo homer in the second inning and a two-run shot in the ninth, and Jose Tabata and Garrett Jones added solo homers.

St. Louis starter Shelby Miller (3-2) struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits in losing to the Pirates for the second time in 12 days. The Cardinals lost a series for the first time since the opening series of the season at Arizona.

Jones finished with three hits for Pittsburgh, raising his average to .324. Martin went 3-for-5, John McDonald added a run-scoring double in the sixth and the Pirates blew it open with five runs in the ninth.

The Cardinals finished with three hits after recording 21 hits in the first two games of the series. St. Louis has lost consecutive games for the first time since the third and fourth games of the season.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The victory gives Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle his 700th career victory. He is one of 11 active managers in the majors with at least 700 victories. … Pittsburgh has 15 wins in April for the first time since 1992, the last season the Pirates made the playoffs. … St. Louis starters had allowed just five homers in 23 games before Sunday.