PITTSBURGH (AP) Cardinals center fielder Dexter Fowler had not felt fully healthy for quite a while. But nothing was ailing him when St. Louis faced Pittsburgh at PNC Park.
Fowlers two-run triple sparked the Cardinals to an 11-7 comeback win over the Pirates.
With the Cardinals trailing 5-4 with one out in the seventh inning, Fowler tripled down the right field line off reliever Joaquin Benoit to give St. Louis a 6-5 lead.
Yadier Molina followed with an RBI single to make it 7-5 and chase Benoit (1-6), who allowed three runs on three hits in a third of an inning. Benoit has surrendered nine runs in six games for the Pirates since being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies on July 31.
St. Louis added four more runs in the ninth inning before Pittsburgh answered with two in the bottom half.
Fowler went 2 for 3 with three RBIs, scored three runs and walked twice in his 10th game since getting off the 10-day disabled list with a wrist injury.
Righty Sam Tuivailala (3-1) pitched one scoreless inning for the win. He allowed three hits but escaped trouble withtwo strikeouts.
Game two of the four-game series is Friday night in Pittsburgh. Carlos Martinez (9-9) starts for the Cardinals while Trevor Williams (5-5) starts for the Pirates. Game time is 6:05 with the pre-game at 5:10 on KTLO-AM.
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