Cards win on a late rally

ST. LOUIS -- Fernando Vina doubled in two runs with one out in the ninth inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.

With the Cardinals down 4-2, Tino Martinez led off the ninth with a double off closer Mike Williams (1-5), and scored on Edgar Renteria's single. One out later, Renteria advanced to third on pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo's single.

Vina followed with the double to right to end Williams' Pittsburgh-record saves streak at 16, and keep the Cardinals five games ahead of second-place Houston in the NL Central.

Gabe Molina (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the victory, the Cardinals' 12th in their last 15 and third in the four-game series with the Pirates.

Brian Giles hit his 32nd homer and Aramis Ramirez also homered for Pittsburgh, which has lost 10 of its last 13.

Pittsburgh took a 3-2 lead with a two-run seventh, and Ramirez's homer made it 4-2 in the eighth.

Cardinals starter Jason Simontacchi allowed three runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings, and Pittsburgh's Brian Meadows gave up two runs on five hits in six innings.

Giles opened the scoring with a leadoff homer in the second inning, his sixth against St. Louis this year and 17th against the Cardinals in four seasons with the Pirates.

The Cardinals made it 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on Martinez's two-run homer, his 15th of the season.

Noteworthy

The Pirates last 10 home runs have been solo shots.

Reese, 8-for-8 in stolen bases this year and 15-for-15 dating to July 25, 2001, was picked off first base by Simontacchi after walking in the third.

Pittsburgh's Jack Wilson is 0-for-14 in his last four games.

St. Louis' J.D. Drew has not homered since July 25 and has not had an extra-base hit since July 28.