PITTSBURGH -- Adam LaRoche drove in three runs with a pair of hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates scored three times in both the first and second innings and went on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Nate McLouth hit his 25th homer -- his previous major league high was 13 last season -- and had two RBI as the Pirates all but finished off St. Louis in the NL wild-card race.
The 2006 World Series champions have lost five in a row and 11 of 15. The Cardinals trail three teams for the wild card with only 13 games to play -- St. Louis is 4½ games behind Milwaukee for the fourth playoff spot, but would have been down by only 1½ games if it had swept the series.
The Cardinals didn't show much spark until both benches emptied briefly in the eighth. Pitcher Ron Villone had to be restrained by catcher Jason LaRue after the Pirates' Doug Mientkiewicz apparently didn't like how he was tagged by second baseman Aaron Miles while being doubled off second to end the inning.
When the Cardinals spend time during the offseason wondering why their season didn't go as they wanted, they can partially blame the Pirates. The Cardinals won 12 of 18 from them in 2007, only to go 7-10 against the NL Central's last-place team this season.
This was the first time in 11 years that St. Louis lost eight or more games to Pittsburgh. The Pirates won nine of 12 in 1997.
The Pirates were coming off a four-game sweep by Houston and had lost six in a row and 17 of 20 going into the series. Full story
Marlins 8, Nationals 7
MIAMI -- Josh Willingham drove in the go-ahead run to help the Florida Marlins rally past the Washington Nationals.
Trailing 6-1, Florida scored seven runs off four Washington relievers in the eighth to go ahead 8-6.
Jorge Cantu started the rally with a two-run double to it 6-3. Dan Uggla brought the Marlins to within one with a two-run single.
Alfredo Amezaga's bunt off Joel Hanrahan scored Uggla to tie the score at 6. Pinch-runner Jeremy Hermida, who had advanced to third on Hanrahan's throwing error, scored on Willingham's single to left.
Giants 8, Padres 6 (10 innings)
SAN DIEGO -- Rookie Pablo Sandoval scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the 10th inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres.
Sandoval led off with a double against rookie Dirk Hayhurst (0-2), the Padres' eighth pitcher. Sandoval went to third on Travis Ishikawa's single to left, and scored when Hayhurst bounced a curveball in the dirt that got away from catcher Nick Hundley.
Aaron Rowand walked on the wild pitch, and Hayhurst was replaced by Scott Patterson. The right-hander walked another to load the bases and then walked pinch hitter Rich Aurilia to force in another run.
Rookie Sergio Romo (2-1) pitched the ninth inning for the win. Brian Wilson got the last three outs for his 39th save in 44 chances.
