Pirates 6, Cardinals 1: Gaby Sanchez and Tony Sanchez each drove in a pair of runs as visiting Pittsburgh evened its weekend series with St. Louis at one game apiece.

Jose Tabata had three of the seven hits for the Pirates, who have held the Cardinals to one run in each of the first two games of the three-game set. Matt Holliday drove in the only run for the Cardinals, who managed just five hits against Francisco Liriano and five Pittsburgh relievers.

Liriano left after two scoreless innings due to dizziness and flu-like symptoms, but Stolmy Pimentel (2-0) picked up the slack by working 2 2/3 innings before giving way to Jared Hughes, who logged 1 1/3 hitless frames. Justin Wilson pitched the seventh and Tony Watson worked the eighth before Mark Melancon took care of things in the ninth.

The Pirates scored four times in the fourth inning against Cardinals starter Tyler Lyons (0-2) with Andrew McCutchen delivering an RBI single, Gaby Sanchez adding a two-run double and Tabata capping the big frame with a run-scoring hit. The Cardinals got a run back in the fifth on Holliday's double, but the St. Louis outfielder was stranded in scoring position when Matt Adams struck out against Pimentel and Hughes retired Yadier Molina on a fly ball.

The Cardinals put a runner in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings as well, but could not create any more offense. Tony Sanchez delivered a two-run single in the top of the ninth before Melancon retired all three hitters he faced to seal just the fourth win in the Pirates' last 16 games.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Lyons was charged with four runs and four hits over six innings. ... Pirates SS Jordy Mercer went 0-for-3 and is batting .175. ... Adams had two hits for St. Louis to raise his average to .330.