Wong walk-off beats Pirates

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS

Rookie Kolten Wong gave the St. Louis Cardinals their second straight game-winning ninth-inning home run, connecting off Ernesto Frieri with two outs for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

Frieri (1-1) got two routine outs before Wong, batting eighth, hit his third homer on a full count.

The drive over the right-field wall, which was estimated at 420 feet, was the first game-winning homer of Wong’s career and it came a night after Matt Adams hit his first winner off Justin Wilson in a 2-0 victory.

The Cardinals last had consecutive game-winning homers when Albert Pujols twice beat the Cubs on June 4 and 5, 2011.

Wong also gave the Cardinals the early lead with a two-run double in the second.

Trevor Rosenthal (1-4) struck out Starling Marte on three pitches with two on to end the ninth.

Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen hit two-run homers off Carlos Martinez, in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, and McCutchen’s 14th of the season put them up 4-2. Alvarez has 100 career homers with 14 homers and 47 RBIs against St. Louis, most of any opponent.

Matt Holliday had been 2 for 14 on the homestand before tying it with a two-run double off Vance Worley in the fifth. He batted second the previous 14 games while battling a slump and returned to his usual third slot Tuesday, taking a called third strike and bouncing out before the double.

NOTES

Rookie Gregory Polanco singled his first three trips for Pittsburgh. ... The Pirates are expected to recall Brandon Cumpton (3-0, 4.61) from Triple-A Indianapolis today to start in place of Gerrit Cole against the Cardinals’ Lance Lynn (9-6, 3.17). Cole will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a tight lat muscle.