The return home to start a series Friday at Busch Stadium in first place in the National League Central, tied with the Cubs, at 55-47.
Birthday boy Jose Martinez got the Cardinals an early lead with an RBI single, and Paul DeJong, a day after hitting three homers, added a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead before the end of the first inning. In the fourth, Paul Goldschmidt hit a leadoff homer. For the first time in his career, he has at least one homer in four consecutive games, and he has homered in five consecutive games against the Pirates.