St. Louis @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 11, 2015 ) St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 6

The Pittsburgh Pirates look to enter the All-Star break with a three-game winning streak as they host the St. Louis Cardinals for the finale of their four-game series on Sunday night. After splitting the first two games of the set, Pittsburgh used its persistence on Saturday to post a 6-5 triumph in 14 innings.

The Pirates scored twice in the eighth frame to forge a 3-3 tie and answered St. Louis' run in the top of the 10th with one in the bottom half before All-Star Andrew McCutchen belted a two-run homer in the 14th to trump Jhonny Peralta's RBI single in the top half. Starting pitcher A.J. Burnett also went deep as Pittsburgh registered its seventh win in eight contests to climb within 3 1/2 games of first-place St. Louis in the National League Central. Mark Reynolds launched a pair of solo shots as the Cardinals fell to 3-4 on their eight-game road trip with their eighth defeat in 13 overall contests. St. Louis is hoping for its second straight four-game series split after winning two of four against the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals LH Tim Cooney (0-0, 3.95 ERA) vs. Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.99)

Cooney is in search of his first victory as he makes his fourth major-league start. The 24-year-old native of Pennsylvania lasted 5 1/3 innings in his first career road outing on Tuesday, limiting the Cubs to one run and three hits in a no-decision at Chicago. It marked the first start in which Cooney did not surrender a home run, as he served up three over his first two turns.

Liriano settled for a no-decision against San Diego on Tuesday after giving up two runs in six innings. It was the seventh time in nine outings the 31-year-old Dominican allowed fewer than three runs and the third occasion in that span he came away empty-handed. Liriano is 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 10 career starts against the Cardinals, including a no-decision at St. Louis on May 2 in which he yielded one run over eight frames and a loss at home six days later after he surrendered six runs - five earned - but struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. McCutchen's walk-off homer on Saturday extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

2. St. Louis recalled RHP Sam Tuivailala and LHP Nick Greenwood from Triple-A Memphis prior to Saturday's contest, with the latter taking the loss after allowing two runs and two hits without retiring a batter.

3. The Pirates enter the All-Star break with a winning record for the fifth straight season.

PREDICTION: Pirates 4, Cardinals 2