Cardinals drop Pirates, fly into NLCS

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis advanced to the National League Championship Series by beating Pittsburgh, 6-1, in their winner-takes-all game on Wednesday, clinching the NL Division Series, 3-2.

Cardinals’ pitcher Adam Wainwright pitched a complete game in his second dominant win of the series, while David Freese and Matt Adams hit two-run homers for the hosts.

St. Louis will be at home to open the NLCS against the well-rested Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

The last three seasons, the Cardinals are 8-1 when facing elimination. They also won Game 5 of the NL division series at Washington last year and at Philadelphia in 2011.

Freese homered in the second inning off rookie Gerrit Cole and Adams connected in the eighth against reliever Mark Melancon to make it 5-1. Pete Kozma added an RBI infield single, and Wainwright finished it off by striking out Pedro Alvarez with two runners on base.

Alvarez became the first player to get an RBI in each of his first six postseason games, with a fluke hit that rebounded off first base in the seventh. But the Pirates were held to one run in each of the final two games in their first playoff series in 21 years. They haven’t won a postseason series since the 1979 World Series.

Cole beat the Cardinals with an impressive effort in Game 2, but they got to him early this time.

Freese made him pay for a full-count walk to Jon Jay with two outs in the second, lining a pitch into the visitors’ bullpen beyond left field.

The Pirates had relief pitchers warming up in the fourth after Yadier Molina’s infield hit and a throwing error put runners on second and third. Cole gave up three hits over five innings, but was lifted in the sixth.

The Pirates scratched out their lone run on two infield hits and the single by Alvarez. AP