between teams with two of the best records in the major leagues.
Martinez (10-3) improved to 7-1 with a 1.20 ERA in his last 10 starts after he allowed four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
The 23-year-old right-hander also made a strong pitch to be selected to his first All-Star Game, which will be played next Tuesday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. He is one of five players contending for the National League’s Final Vote. Fan balloting ends Thursday.
St. Louis (56-30) opened a 5 1/2-game lead on the Pirates in the NL Central. Pittsburgh (50-35) had its five-game winning streak snapped.
The Cardinals scored in the fifth inning on two-run singles by second baseman Matt Carpenter with one out and catcher Yadier Molina with two outs against left-hander Jeff Locke (5-5).
Only one of the runs was earned because shortstop Jordy Mercer booted pinch-hitter Kolten Wong’s grounder for an error with none out.
Carpenter and Molina finished with two hits each.
Center fielder Andrew McCutchen kept the Pirates from being shut out when he hit a 443-foot home run, his 11th homer of the season, to center field off reliever Seth Maness to lead off the ninth. That extended McCutchen’s career-best hitting streak to 16 games.
Closer Trevor Rosenthal retired the next three hitters for his 26th save in 27 opportunities.
Locke was pulled for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth. He allowed five hits, struck out five and walked three after giving up two earned runs or fewer in each of his previous five starts.
NOTES: Cardinals 2B Kolten Wong, who sustained a mild concussion Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cubs in Chicago, missed his third straight game. Though Wong passed concussion tests Thursday afternoon, manager Mike Matheny decided to give Wong one more day of rest. … Cardinals RF Matt Holliday, who been on the disabled list since June 9 with a strained right quadriceps, might be activated Friday but would be limited to pinch hitting during the four-game series. … Pirates LF Starling Marte was not in the lineup for a fourth consecutive game because of a strained left oblique. Marte underwent a full pregame workout for a second straight day, but the Pirates don’t have a timetable for his return. … Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn (6-4, 2.53 ERA) faces Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (12-3, 2.28 ERA) on Friday night in the second game of the series. Lynn is seventh in the National League in ERA and fifth with 0.49 home runs allowed per nine innings. Cole leads the major leagues in wins and is 7-1 with a 2.19 ERA in his last nine starts.