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Lincoln, Pirates blank Cardinals

Aug 28, 2011 - 1:08 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Josh Harrison went 3-for-4 with three RBI and Brad Lincoln tossed six scoreless innings, as the Pittsburgh Pirates dominated the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-0, in the third test of a four-game series.

Neil Walker hit a solo homer for the Pirates, who snapped a two-game skid. Garrett Jones went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Lincoln (1-0) allowed just six hits in his second career victory. He also went 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI and run scored.

"Last year, I think I nibbled a little bit," Lincoln said. "If you go out there with a doubt in your mind that you're not going to get the job done, bad things will happen. You just have to go out there and attack and be who you are. Don't let anybody dictate what you do."

St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter (8-9) gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings to take the loss. He struck out five and walked two.

Pittsburgh's offense got going in the second inning. Jones hit a two-out double to right and scored on Harrison's single to left.

The Pirates pulled away with a four-run fourth. Andrew McCutchen doubled and moved to third on Ryan Doumit's groundout. Walker walked to put men on the corners. Jones followed with an RBI double to left. Harrison then hit a two- run single to left-center field. Two batters later, Lincoln drove in Harrison with a double to right-center field.

Walker's solo homer to left-center field in the fifth made it a 6-0 game.

"I made some good pitches and I made some bad pitches," Carpenter said. "There were a few balls which got up, and they just beat me."

The Cardinals put men on first and third in the home fifth, but pinch-hitter Corey Patterson grounded out to end the threat.

Mitchell Boggs took over on the mound for St. Louis in the sixth. With a runner on third and two outs, McCutchen hit an RBI single to left to make it 7-0.

St. Louis left the bases loaded in the home sixth.

Daniel McCutchen pitched two scoreless innings of relief and Chris Resop retired the side in order in the ninth for the Pirates.

Game Notes

The Cardinals and Pirates have split 12 games this season...Carpenter fell to 12-3 in 19 career games against the Pirates. That includes a 6-2 record in 10 starts at St. Louis...The Cardinals went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.