ST. LOUIS -AP- Jaime Garcia pitched seven scoreless innings, Matt Carpenter homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 Saturday.Garcia (8-4) gave up four hits and one walk while striking out nine for his 50th career win. Kevin Siegrist followed with a scoreless eighth before Trevor Rosenthal gave up a two-out run in the ninth.Carpenter's 21st homer was a two-run shot in the seventh and put the Cardinals ahead 4-0.The Cardinals pushed their lead over the Pirates back to 6 1/2 games in the NL Central. 
Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton (8-7) went six innings and allowed two runs and four hits.The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second without the ball leaving the infield. Morton walked two and hit Jon Jay to load the bases. With two out, Stephen Piscotty hit a grounder up the middle that took a high hop and forced second baseman Josh Harrison into a rushed throw, which got past first base and allowed both runners to score.Piscotty was credited with one RBI and a single that extended his hitting streak to 12 games. The streak equals the longest on the team this season and is the longest by a Cardinals rookie since Jay hit in 12 straight in 2010.Andrew McCutchen singled in his first at-bat to extend a streak of reaching base in the first inning to 10 games.Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez singled to score Neil Walker with two out in the ninth before Rosenthal struck out pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco with two on to end the game.A sellout of 45,139 pushed the Cardinals over the 3 million attendance mark for the 10th time in the 10-year history of Busch Stadium and the 19th time in franchise history.CHOATE TURNS 40The Cardinals recognized LHP Randy Choate's 40th birthday by wearing T-shirts commemorating the occasion before the game. Choate said he wants to play at least five more years.
Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton (8-7) went six innings and allowed two runs and four hits.The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second without the ball leaving the infield. Morton walked two and hit Jon Jay to load the bases. With two out, Stephen Piscotty hit a grounder up the middle that took a high hop and forced second baseman Josh Harrison into a rushed throw, which got past first base and allowed both runners to score.Piscotty was credited with one RBI and a single that extended his hitting streak to 12 games. The streak equals the longest on the team this season and is the longest by a Cardinals rookie since Jay hit in 12 straight in 2010.Andrew McCutchen singled in his first at-bat to extend a streak of reaching base in the first inning to 10 games.Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez singled to score Neil Walker with two out in the ninth before Rosenthal struck out pinch-hitter Gregory Polanco with two on to end the game.A sellout of 45,139 pushed the Cardinals over the 3 million attendance mark for the 10th time in the 10-year history of Busch Stadium and the 19th time in franchise history.CHOATE TURNS 40The Cardinals recognized LHP Randy Choate's 40th birthday by wearing T-shirts commemorating the occasion before the game. Choate said he wants to play at least five more years.
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