Pittsburgh @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2013 ) Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 4

The St. Louis Cardinals needed something dramatic to reverse their momentum against the Pittsburgh Pirates - and they have may have found it in Tuesday's marathon series-opening victory. St. Louis capitalized on a ninth-inning error to push across the tying run before prevailing in 14 innings to improve to 4-7 against the Pirates this season. The victory moved the Cardinals within two games of first-place Pittsburgh in the National League Central entering Wednesday's second game of the series.

The Pirates have lost four straight games and saw Mark Melancon suffer his first blown save since All-Star closer Jason Grilli was injured three weeks ago. Pittsburgh has scored only 10 runs during its skid, which began with a three-game sweep in Colorado. Neil Walker had a pair of hits Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to eight games and Andrew McCutchen has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, including seven two-hit contests.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Francisco Liriano (12-5, 2.83 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Shelby Miller (11-7, 2.89)

Liriano is coming off a nightmarish outing, getting battered for a career-high 10 runs in a season-low 2 1/3 innings by the Colorado Rockies. He had won three straight starts and permitted two runs or fewer in eight of his previous nine outings before the debacle, in which he also gave up 12 hits. Liriano has won both career starts versus the Cardinals, including a one-run, seven-inning outing on July 29.

Miller's last start came to an end after he threw only two pitches when he took a line drive off the back of his pitching elbow. The 22-year-old rookie has allowed more than three runs three times in 22 starts, but all three have come in his last 10 turns. Miller lost twice to the Pirates in a three-start span in April, giving up five runs and 13 hits over 11 2/3 innings, but the Cardinals failed to score in either outing.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cardinals LF Matt Holliday is riding a 10-game hitting streak but appeared to tweak his leg in the 10th inning Tuesday.

2. Liriano is 5-4 on the road and his ERA is three times higher than at home (4.22 to 1.39.)

3. Miller is 6-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 11 home starts.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 3, Pirates 2