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Craig powers Cardinals over Pirates

Aug 18, 2011 - 4:05 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Allen Craig finished 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI, as St. Louis avoided a sweep with a 7-2 victory over Pittsburgh in the finale of a three-game series.

"I had to get him into the lineup. It's hard to but it's the perfect time. I just moved on a hunch, gave Lance (Berkman) two days off. We needed some punch, and now we're healthy and hitting."

Yadier Molina contributed three hits and drove in a run for the Cardinals, who got two hits apiece from Rafael Furcal and Ryan Theriot.

Kyle Lohse (11-7) worked seven innings for the win, allowing five hits and two runs with seven strikeouts.

Jose Tabata's two-run shot was the lone offense for the Pirates, who have lost four of six despite winning the set.

Paul Maholm (6-14) was touched in defeat for three runs on eight hits over five full frames.

The Cards expanded their slim one-run edge in the sixth. Theriot singled with one down, advanced on a Jon Jay single, moved to third on a passed ball and came in on Lohse's groundout.

Craig added his second homer of the game, a seventh-inning solo shot to left, and St. Louis led 5-2. The visitors tacked on two more in the eighth on Lance Berkman's pinch-hit RBI single and Craig's run-scoring infield hit.

The Cards tallied three times in the first. Furcal started the contest with a base hit and scored on Craig's two-run homer. Matt Holliday walked two batters later and came in on a single from Molina.

Craig robbed Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit of a potential three-run homer in the home first, backing up to the wall to snag his deep fly. Pittsburgh eventually left the bases loaded in the frame.

Ronny Cedeno doubled to begin the Bucs fifth, then Tabata launched a one-out, two-run homer to right to bring the home team within 3-2.

"To drive a ball out of the ballpark in right field, that gets your attention," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle of his budding slugger. "Those are the things he's shown us when he's going good in the past."

Game Notes

Craig was hitless in his last 11 at-bats before Wednesday's explosion. This was his first career multi-homer game and his first-ever four-hit contest...Lohse, who has lasted at least five innings in all but one of his 24 starts this season, earned his 99th career victory...Despite the setback, Pittsburgh has won five of the nine meetings this season...Both clubs are back in action on Friday, with St. Louis continuing a six-game road trip in Chicago and the Bucs remaining home to welcome Cincinnati.