Cardinals 1, Pirates 0: Shelby Miller and four relievers combined on a four-hitter as St. Louis blanked visiting Pittsburgh.

Miller, who was hit hard by Pittsburgh in his first start of the season, posted his second straight scoreless outing with 5 2/3 solid innings in which he overcame three hits and four walks. Matt Holliday went 3-for-3, including a first-inning RBI double, as the Cardinals handed the Pirates their 12th loss in 15 games.

Gerrit Cole was the hard-luck loser for the Pirates, surrendering just a run and six hits over seven frames. Pittsburgh had a terrific chance to get Cole off the hook in the eighth inning but could not plate the tying run despite having runners at first and third with nobody out.

Carlos Martinez was the Cardinals' pitcher in the eighth, when a hit batter and a single put runners on the corners before Neil Walker's comebacker to the mound resulted in a rundown that nailed Starling Marte between third and home. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, St. Louis opted to intentionally walk reigning MVP Andrew McCutchen, and the move paid off when Martinez struck out Pedro Alvarez looking and Chris Stewart swinging.

The only run of the game was a product of Matt Carpenter's leadoff bunt single in the first inning, which was followed two batters later by Holliday's opposite-field double. Pat Neshek relieved Miller with two outs in the sixth and retired Russell Martin with a runner on second before Kevin Siegrist breezed through the seventh, Martinez escaped the eighth and Trevor Rosenthal struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth for his seventh save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Jon Jay went first-to-third on a single by Holliday in the third inning, but Pittsburgh challenged the tag call at third base and Jay was called out following a lengthy replay delay. ... Miller surrendered five runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Pirates on April 4. He has a 1.56 ERA in four starts since. ... St. Louis SS Jhonny Peralta had two hits, as did Pittsburgh LF Jose Tabata.