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The St. Louis Cardinals are having a flare for the dramatic and all the Pittsburgh Pirates can do is watch. The Cardinals target a series win over the NL Central-rival Pirates Wednesday in the third installment of a four-game set at Busch Stadium. Catch the game live on TSN starting at 8pm et/5pm pt. Matt Adams belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth of Mondays 2-0 victory, then it was Kolten Wongs turn Tuesday. Wong broke a 4-4 tie in the ninth with a two-out solo home run for the hosts and finished with two hits and three RBI. "When I hit it, I knew it was gone," Wong said of his clutch hit off Pirates reliever Ernesto Frieri. "For a moment I forgot to run. Just excited to get home and be the guy jumping into the dog pile. Its something Ill always remember." Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta and Oscar Taveras ended with two hits apiece and helped the Cardinals pull within three games off the Milwaukee Brewers for first in the NL Central. Pittsburgh is 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers, who have lost three in a row. Carlos Martinez started on the mound for St. Louis last night and was reached for four and eight hits in six innings. Wongs home run made a winner out of Trevor Rosenthal, who worked around a hit and a walk in the ninth. The Cardinals, winners in five of seven games, announced that Jaime Garcia will undergo season-ending surgery due to thoracic outlet syndrome (shoulder), the same procedure former ace Chris Carpenter had back in 2012. The left- handed Garcia went 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA in seven starts. Lance Lynn is one of the healthy St. Louis starters and draws the start Wednesday. Lynn threw 6 2/3 shutout innings in last Fridays 3-2 win over Miami, struck out six and walked three. Lynn was blasted for seven runs (6 earned) in his previous start June 28 at Los Angeles. Lynn has alternated results in the past six trips to the hill and is 9-6 with a 3.17 earned run average. The right-hander is 5-2 in nine home starts and 7-2 in 12 appearances at night. Lynn has faced Pittsburgh 12 times (10 starts) in his career and owns a 4-3 record with a 5.13 ERA. He lost at Pittsburgh back on May 10 in a 4-3 setback, allowing all four runs in six innings. Pittsburgh will try to avoid its first three-game slide since June 15-18 when they gets back to work Wednesday. Justin Wilson gave up Adams home run on Monday and Frieri was the mound victim in last nights loss. Vance Worley allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings, while Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen each hit two-run homers for the Pirates, who are still 12-5 in the last 17 games. "Its not the first time weve had two tough losses and it probably wont be the last time," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "One swing of the bat changed the game. You shower up and get ready to play tomorrow." The Pirates have lost three in a row on the road and had prevailed in five straight series as the visitor. In the last 29 games, Pittsburgh starting pitchers have combined to go 15-6 and it will be Brandon Cumptons turn in the rotation on Wednesday. Cumpton was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis when Gerrit Cole was activated off the disabled list, but is now replacing an injured Cole. Cumpton pitched against Louisville on July 4 and was reached for four runs, three of which were earned, and eight hits in six innings of a 7-6 loss in 11 innings. He is 3-2 with a 4.61 earned run average in nine starts this season and unbeaten (3-0) in the past five outings. In a 3-2 win over the New York Mets on June 27, Cumpton tossed seven innings of two-run ball in a no- decision. He has allowed two runs over 14 innings in his last two games. The right-hander won his only start against St. Louis last July 30, when he fired seven scoreless innings of a 6-0 win at PNC Park. St. Louis is 6-5 against Pittsburgh this season and each of the last five games in this series has been decided by two runs or less. 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They have homered once every 27.3 at bats, which just happens to be the third best mark in the American League, albeit just 10 games into the season. PITTSBURGH -- Edinson Volquez couldnt seem to find the strike zone in the first inning of his start against the Philadelphia Phillies, throwing 11 of his 16 pitches for balls. After escaping the jam unscathed, he got some advice from pitching coach Ray Searage. The rest of the way went smoothly with Volquez allowing a run over seven innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Phillies 3-2 Saturday. "He slowed me down," Volquez said. "I was too fast to the plate and everything was late with my hands to get the ball where I wanted." The adjustment worked. "I could see the strike zone a little closer to me and I felt like I could put the ball where I wanted," Volquez said. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer in the first and Volquez (7-6) had an RBI groundout with the bases loaded in the second inning as the Pirates moved a season-high five games over .500 at 46-41. The Pirates couldve added to the 3-0 lead but Gregory Polanco Starling Marte each flew out with men on second and third. Volquez allowed four hits and walked four. He struck out five in his third straight win. "He battled," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It was a very, I thought, gritty performance by him today because he spent a lot of time out of the stretch again." McCutchen followed up Fridays game, when he was a home run shy of the cycle, with the big hit off David Buchanan. McCutchen connected to right after Polanco led off the home first with a single. McCutchen said it was nice to begin his day with a home run after he ended Friday with a ball that smacked the wall about 10 feet lower than necessary to clear it. "I got a little better swing on it," McCutchen said. "(I) got out in front of it a little more so I was able to get hands through the zone and put a little more backspin on it." Hurdle was pleased his team jumped on top early, similar to the way the Pirates scored four runs in the first inning Friday. "Its always nice to get in front," he said.dddddddddddd "It does give you a sense of momentum coming out of the chute." Philadelphia dropped a season-high 13 games below .500 at 37-50. "We havent been able to bounce back from being down early in the game," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Its been different when weve scored early. Its something were going to have to try and do, score earlier in games." Buchanan (4-5) found his stride after the second and kept the Pirates at bay until he was lifted in the sixth. Philadelphias starter was charged with three runs and six hits and an intentional walk. "The biggest thing for me today was not walking anybody," Buchanan said. "If you throw strikes and make them put it in play then good things usually happen." Marlon Byrd stranded five men on base in his first two at-bats. He flew out in the first to leave men on the corners, then struck on four pitches to end the third with the bases loaded. Byrd homered off Pirates closer Mark Melancon in the ninth but even an attempt at starting a rally wasnt enough to appease the right fielder after his earlier at-bats. "I have to do a better job producing in the first at-bat, too," Byrd said. "Bases loaded and I struck out. My job is to produce." Melancon retired to next three batters he faced for his 16th save. Tony Watson worked a perfect eighth. Cody Asche homered in the fourth for Philadelphia against Volquez. NOTES Asches home run in the fourth inning snapped a 16-inning scoreless streak for Volquez. . In their last 14 starts, Pittsburghs starting pitchers have combined to post a 2.32 ERA. . Pittsburgh SS Jordy Mercer doubled twice and is batting .714 (10 for 14) in his last five games. . Pirates LHP Jeff Locke (1-1, 3.46 ERA) faces Phillies RHP A.J. Burnett (5-7, 3.92 ERA) when Pittsburgh and Philadelphia conclude their three-game series Sunday. ' ' '