PITTSBURGH -- With nearly half a season to go, the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't getting too caught up in the standings yet.

However, they do know the importance of staying within striking distance in the National League Central.

Right-hander Gerrit Cole pitched seven innings to become the first 13-game winner in the major leagues and the first Pirates pitcher to have that many wins before the All-Star break since 1971 as Pittsburgh beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 on Friday night.

The Pirates (51-35) won for the sixth time in seven games and drew within 4 1/2 games of the Cardinals (56-31) in the NL Central in the second game of a four-game series between the teams with the best records in the major leagues.

"It's still July, so you don't want to get too wrapped up in talking about a pennant race," Pirates second baseman Neil Walker said. "But the Cardinals are obviously a good team and they've been playing great all year. If we're going to catch them, we're going to have to beat them when we play them because you can't count on other teams beating them, as good as they are."

Cole (13-3) allowed two runs -- both on third baseman Matt Carpenter's third-inning homer -- and six hits while striking out three and walking two. Cole became just the second Pirates pitcher to win 13 games before the All-Star break, joining Dock Ellis, who had 14 in 1971.

"I feel good. I feel strong. I feel healthy," Cole said. "I feel like I've gotten better every time out in some area."

Walker had three hits, including a two-run homer in the fourth, his seventh home run of the season that extended the Pirates' lead to 5-2.

Closer Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth for his NL-leading 29th save in 30 opportunities.

Rookie third baseman Jung Ho Kang and shortstop Jordy Mercer each had two of the Pirates' 10 hits.

Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn (6-5) lasted just four innings as he lost for the first time in seven starts. He was tagged for five runs and nine hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

"I kept falling behind the count and throwing pitches over the middle of plate," Lynn said. "You can't do that against any team, especially a good team like the Pirates because they're a great fastball-hitting team."

Lynn has beaten the Pirates only once in his last nine starts against them.

"We don't usually see outings like this from Lance," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "He just had a hard time finding the strike zone. He never got in a rhythm."

Shortstop Jhonny Peralta and rookie center fielder Tommy Pham had two hits apiece for the Cardinals.

The Pirates went ahead 3-2 during a two-run third inning when Kang and first baseman Pedro Alvarez each hit an RBI single. Walker then padded the lead an inning later with his seventh homer of the season.

Mercer doubled home the game's first run in the first inning.

Carpenter's two-run homer, his ninth home run of the year, had put the Cardinals ahead 2-1 in the top of the third. The drive came with one out after Pham hit a leadoff double.

"He's found out, even this year, that mis-executed pitches can have some bad results," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said of the 24-year-old Cole. "You've got to meet the challenges of the game and he's continued to do that through his first half in very strog fashion."

NOTES: Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez is headed to his first All-Star Game after winning the National League's All-Star Final Vote on Friday. He beat out a field that included Cincinnati RHP Johnny Cueto, New York Mets RHP Jeurys Familia, Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Clayton Kershaw and Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki. ... The Cardinals decided to keep RF Matt Holliday (strained right quadriceps) on the disabled list until they return from the All-Star break on July 17. They considered activating him from the disabled list to serve as a pinch hitter in the four-game series. ... Cardinals RHP Matt Belisle (right elbow inflammation) started a throwing program and could be back by the end of the month. ... Pirates LF Starling Marte sat out his fifth straight game with a strained left oblique but is making enough progress that he might avoid the disabled list. ... Cardinals RHP John Lackey (7-5, 3.09 ERA) faces Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett (7-3, 1.99) on Saturday night. Lackey has made five quality starts in a row with a 1.75 ERA during that span and is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh. Burnett has a 1.66 ERA in his last six starts and is 9-6 with a 3.67 ERA against St. Louis in 19 career starts.