Brewers lose to Cardinals, lose ground to Pirates

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright posted his 19th win, pitching a shutout Wednesday night as the St. Louis  Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 to hold their 2½-game edge in the NL Central.

Wainwright (19-9) worked around seven hits and tied for the major league lead in wins and shutouts.

St. Louis has won four of five and kept its advantage over second-place Pittsburgh. Milwaukee dropped 2 1/2 games behind the Pirates for the second NL wild-card spot.   The piping-hot Pirates blew past Boston, 9-1.

Mike Fiers (6-3) held the Cardinals hitless until Wainwright singled up the middle with two outs in the sixth. It was Fiers' first start since beaning Miami's Giancarlo Stanton last week, ending his season.

Fiers gave up two runs in the 7th inning;  Matt Adams hit a single; when Carlos  Gomez slipped fielding the ball, Matt Holliday scored the game's first run all the way from 1st base.