Pirates defeat Cardinals to secure series win at Busch Stadium

The Pittsburgh Pirates concluded a nine-game road trip with a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo provided solo home runs to help build an early lead, while Brandon Lowe added an insurance run in the seventh inning. Braxton Ashcraft earned his 14th win of the season, pitching five innings and allowing two runs on six hits. Despite a late rally from the Cardinals that included a pair of RBI hits from Iván Herrera, the Pirates held on to secure the series. Mason Montgomery earned the save to finish the game. The Pirates are now scheduled for an off day on Monday before returning home to PNC Park on Tuesday night to face the San Francisco Giants.

• 11:23 PMYahoo Sports — Pirates hold on to take series with rubber match win vs. Cardinals