hris Young added a pinch-hit RBI single in the frame

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PITTSBURGH -- Neil Walker wasnt expecting to have a big offensive game Friday night, especially with Michael Wacha pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. The last time Wacha started at PNC Park was in the Game 4 of last years National League Division Series and he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in beating the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yet the hot-hitting Walker had three hits, including a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning, and drove in four runs to help the Pirates beat the Cardinals 6-4. "Wacha is so good, as we found out last year," said Walker, who has reached base in 22 of his last 40 plate appearances. "He throws hard and youve got to shorten up your swing and put the ball in play. Thats the best way to approach him because youre usually not going to do too much against him." While Walkers first two hits were against Wacha, his seventh homer came off Carlos Martinez (0-2) and rallied the Pirates from a 4-3 deficit for their third straight victory. Jordy Mercer and pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez led off the inning with singles and were bunted up a base by Jose Tabata before Walker hit a drive into the right-field stands. "Martinez is as tough as Wacha, but he hung a slider and I was able to put a good swing on it," Walker said. "I was surprised. The guy has such great stuff that youre not thinking that youre going to hit a home run in that situation. It was huge." Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said it didnt appear that Martinez got the home run pitch "where he wanted it." Mercer had three of the Pirates 12 hits, while Ike Davis, who hit a two-run double in the first inning to open the scoring, and Tabata had two hits apiece. Pittsburgh beat St. Louis for the 10th time in 13 games at home. Mercers performance was a welcome development for the Pirates and their shortstop, who is hitting just .187. "Ive been putting in a lot of time in the batting cage, trying to figure things out and its nice to have some results because I feel confident now when I step in the batters box," Mercer said. "Confidence is such a big part of hitting." St. Louis had gone ahead earlier in the seventh on Jhonny Peraltas solo home run, his eighth. Allen Craigs three-run home run, his fourth, accounted for the Cardinals other runs. Peralta and Craig had two hits apiece in the Cardinals second loss in five games. Justin Wilson (1-0) struck out the only batter he faced, Matt Adams, to end the top of the seventh. Mark Melancon, filling as the closer for injured Jason Grilli, pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save. Both starting pitchers worked five innings and had uneven performances. Pittsburghs Francisco Liriano allowed three runs, five hits and four walks while striking out five, while Wacha gave up three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. Liriano has gone a career-long 11 regular-season starts without a win since beating the Texas Rangers last Sept. 10. Wacha is winless in his last five starts. NOTES: The game was delayed 25 minutes in the top of the fourth inning because of rain. . Pirates OF Travis Sniders appeal of his two-game suspension for his actions in an April 20 brawl were upheld and he began serving his penalty Friday night. . The Cardinals recalled OF Joey Butler from Triple-A Memphis and optioned OF Randal Grichuk to the same club. . Pittsburgh recalled INF Brent Morel from Triple-A Indianapolis. They had optioned RHP Phil Irwin to Indianapolis on Thursday. . Grilli threw from the top of the mound Friday for the first time since April 21 when the closer went on the disabled list with a strained left oblique. . Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn (4-1, 3.51) will start Saturday night against RHP Edinson Volquez (1-3, 4.19). Mike Adams Youth Jersey .Inter Milan and Napoli also advanced to ensure there will be at least three Italian clubs in the last 32 of Europes secondary competition.Spurs victory, secured by Benjamin Stamboulis 49th-minute winner, was overshadowed by a succession of pitch invasions that forced the referee to halt the game after 41 minutes. Erik Walden Colts Jersey . The biggest shock of this seasons competition was on when Watford took a 2-0 lead after 30 minutes at Etihad Stadium, only for a remarkable Aguero-led comeback by City in the final half-hour. The Argentina striker produced clinical finishes in the 60th and 79th minutes to level the score before Aleksandar Kolarov put City in front in the 87th. http://www.nflcoltsgearsshop.com/Johnny ... ml?cat=861. After two months of mediocrity, perhaps the Washington Nationals have turned the page. Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings Wednesday night and the Nationals kept the Philadelphia Phillies bats quiet yet again in an 8-4, rain-interrupted win. Mike Adams Colts Jersey .500 ball against teams with winning records, so they needed a huge lift from somebody Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders. Dwayne Allen Jersey . -- Chad Labelle scored the winner 17:36 into the third period to give Medicine Hat a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday and lift the Tigers into the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.(Sports Network) - J.A. Happ will make his second start since returning from injury today as the Toronto Blue Jays try to salvage a split of their four-game series with the Oakland Athletics in a matinee game. The Blue Jays shook up their rotation ahead of this finale, pushing scheduled starter Josh Johnson back to Wednesday in part because of some tightness in his right forearm that he experienced in his last start, and moving Happ up. The 29-year-old will make his second start following a three-month absence due to a skull fracture sustained when he was hit by a line drive against Tampa Bay on May 7. Though his return to the hill last Wednesday was a great sight, the lefty experienced some issues on the mound in a no-decision. Despite getting staked to an early lead, Happ did not factor into a 9-7 loss as he allowed seven runs -- six earned -- on seven hits and three walks over four-plus innings. "Its obviously not how I wanted it to go," Happ said. "We should have won that game. We scored seven runs early. I wasnt able to keep us holding onto that." Happ is still on normal rest due to an off day last Thursday and is 2-2 with a 5.84 ERA in eight starts this season. He will make his first career start versus Oakland, having faced them twice before in relief. Oakland will send Dan Straily to the hill to chase his first win in more than a month. Following a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 9, Straily was sent back to Triple-A Sacramento before returning to the As at the end of the month. He has lost all four starts since his return, falling to 6-6 with a 4.41 earned run average in 18 starts this year with the Athletics. Though the right-hander has been charged with two eaarned runs or less in three of those four games, he has not pitched past the fifth inning in three straight.dddddddddddd Straily logged 4 2/3 innings in a 5-0 setback to Toronto on July 30, charged with five runs -- two earned -- and giving up a pair of homers. Straily was then lifted after four innings and 75 pitches in Tuesdays 3-1 setback at Cincinnati. He yielded two runs on six hits and a walk. The 24-year-old is 0-1 with a 2.53 ERA in two career meetings with the Blue Jays. On Sunday, Alberto Callaspo hit a go-ahead two-run double during a three-run eighth inning, with his drive to left tipping off the glove of Emilio Bonifacio. Chris Young added a pinch-hit RBI single in the frame. "They just ended up getting a lucky one there with two outs," Jays infielder Brett Lawrie said in reference to Callaspos hit. "That kind of stung us a little bit." Brandon Moss slugged a two-run homer for the Athletics, who remained a game behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West. Grant Balfour earned his 30th save of the season the hard way, giving up a run in the ninth and leaving the bases loaded before finishing things off. That gave manager Bob Melvin the 700th win of his career. "Never a dull moment," Melvin deadpanned. "Excruciating. We found a way to win but it wasnt pretty." Melvin sent Young up to pinch-hit for Coco Crisp, who has a nagging left wrist injury and could rest today. Catcher Derek Norris is also likely to get a break as he deals with back spasms. Jose Reyes and Maicer Izturis drove in a run each for the Blue Jays, who dropped their third game in four. 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