Pirates 5, Cardinals 2: Ike Davis belted a tiebreaking, pinch-hit three-run homer with two out in the eighth inning to lift host Pittsburgh, which again lost reigning National League MVP Andrew McCutchen.

Davis belted a 2-2 changeup from Seth Maness (5-3) an estimated 419 feet out to right-center after Gaby Sanchez and Starling Marte singled with one out. Tony Watson (9-1) recorded the victory despite allowing two inherited runners to score in the seventh before Mark Melancon worked the ninth to earn his 23rd save.

Josh Harrison hit a solo homer, Russell Martin recorded three hits and Clint Barmes drove in the other run for the Pirates, who remained 1 1/2 games back of San Francisco for the second NL wild card. Gerrit Cole took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing two runs and three hits while striking out nine in six-plus frames.

McCutchen, who missed 14 games earlier this month with a left rib injury, departed after the fifth inning because of the ailment. The center fielder winced while swinging on a flyout to right in his first at-bat and bent over in apparent pain after robbing Matt Carpenter of extra bases with a catch against the wall to end the third.

Randal Grichuk tied it 2-2 in the seventh with a two-out pinch-hit single and Jon Jay delivered a sacrifice fly earlier in the frame for the NL wild-card leading Cardinals, who stayed 1 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central after losing for the fourth time in 13 games. Kolten Wong's double broke up the no-hitter with two out in the sixth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cardinals starter Lance Lynn extended his unbeaten streak to four starts (3-0) after yielding two runs and six hits in six innings. ... Pittsburgh went 5-9 from Aug. 5-18 without McCutchen, who is hitting .307 with 20 homers and 70 RBIs in 116 games and said he expects to play Wednesday. ... The Pirates also lost 1B Pedro Alvarez, who left after the sixth inning with a left foot injury.