Coverage of today's Cards and Reds game can be heard on Genuine Country 94.3 WMKR beginning at 2:00pm.

Pittsburgh,  PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Tony Sanchez's RBI double in the seventh 
inning  proved  to be the  difference as the  Pittsburgh Pirates edged the St. 
Louis Cardinals, 2-1, in the rubber match of a three-game set at PNC Park. 

With  the score  knotted at  1-1, Pedro  Alvarez worked  a leadoff  walk. Adam 
Wainwright  fanned the  next two  batters, but  Sanchez hammered  a double  to 
right-center to score Alvarez all the way from first. 

"I had to almost trick myself into thinking I was ready for this, when really 
I'm not," said Sanchez. "My heads spinning a million miles a minute and an ace 
like Adam Wainwright on the mound and I'm supposed to drive in Pedro (Alvarez) 
from first with two outs in the (seventh)? Yeah, you trick yourself, fake it 
until you make it." 

Mark  Melancon worked a perfect eighth and Jason Grilli spun a scoreless ninth 
to earn his first save of the season. 

Neil Walker also had an RBI double for the Pirates, who start a nine-game road 
trip on Tuesday against the Cubs. 

Edinson  Volquez allowed just one run on three hits and one walk while fanning 
four  over  5 2/3 innings.  Tony Watson (1-0) worked  1 1/3 perfect innings in 
relief to earn the win. 

Jon  Jay stroked  an RBI  triple for  the Cardinals,  who fell  to 3-3  on the 
season. 

Wainwright  (1-1) allowed both runs on five hits while striking out seven over 
seven innings to absorb the loss. 

"When you're playing tough teams, rivalry teams like we did today, especially 
here in Pittsburgh, they're going to be really tough. It comes down to a 
couple of plays that turn the game," Wainwright said. 

Pittsburgh  broke  through in  the fourth  when Walker laced  an RBI double to 
right  field.  Andrew McCutchen reached on  a one-out double to right and came 
around to score easily when Walker smacked a double that bounced off the wall. 

The Cardinals  were unable to  get a baserunner  past first through the first 
five innings, but finally got on the board in the sixth on Jay's run-producing 
triple. 

                                   Game Notes 

Starling  Marte, who  reached on a bunt  single in the sixth, has reached base 
safely  in all 18  of his games against the Cardinals, hitting safely in 17 of 
the  18 tilts ...  Volquez hasn't lost to the Cardinals since May 22, 2012 ... 
The  Pirates are  3-0 when  leading after  seven innings  this season  ... The 
Cardinals recorded just 17 hits in the three-game set.