Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Final Score: St. Louis 6 - Pittsburgh 0

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Kyle Lohse was brilliant on the mound to run his unbeaten streak to 12 games and Rick Ankiel was 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0, in the opener of a three-game set from PNC Park.

Lohse (11-2) tossed seven strong innings, yielding just six hits and a walk while fanning three batters for the Cardinals, who halted their two-game slide. Ryan Ludwick also chipped in a solo home run, and Yadier Molina clubbed a two-run double.

"This was the one where I was the happiest about because of the way I went out and performed," Lohse said. "I didn't feel like warming up I had the best stuff, but when you bear down and make pitches the way I was able to, it feels really good that you can go out there with that kind of stuff and do it."

Starter Zach Duke (4-6) took the loss as he was touched for five runs on 10 hits in six frames. Nate McLouth had a double, which was the only extra-base hit for the Pirates, who have dropped two of three.

"He (Lohse) threw the ball well," Pittsburgh manager John Russell said. "We had a couple of chances earlier in the game to get him, but he made good pitches to get out of it."

In the third inning, Albert Pujols started a two-out rally with a single up the middle. Troy Glaus kept it going with another single before Molina plated both runners with a double to left. Ankiel cleared the table with a homer to right, and it was 4-0.

With two outs in the fourth, Ludwick deposited the first pitch he saw over the wall in left field for a 5-0 Cardinals advantage.

Pujols walked to open the seventh and Glaus drew a walk before Molina grounded into a double play, leaving Pujols on third. An Ankiel single up the middle scored Pujols and gave St. Louis a 6-0 lead.

Jaime Garcia secured the shutout with two innings of one-hit relief.