ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright relished the chance to stop a skid.The Cardinals ace worked seven effective innings to help St. Louis beat Pittsburgh 5-1 on Thursday to avoid a four-game sweep and end the Pirates season-best seven-game winning streak.Today, I really wanted to push it as long as I possibly could, Wainwright said. I was having fun mixing and matching and mixing my delivery speed. I was pitching out there, thats how I did it in 2014.Wainwright (8-5) was a 20-game winner two years ago, but missed most of last season with a torn left Achilles. He is rediscovering his form now, lowering his ERA to 4.49.Hes been a master craftsman for years, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. He was on top of his game.Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run home run and Randal Grichuk also went deep for St. Louis, which reclaimed second place in the NL Central by a half-game over Pittsburgh to end a rough 4-5 homestand. All-Star Matt Carpenter (oblique) joined Brandon Moss (ankle) and Brayan Pena (knee) on the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day.We heard the news, then we went about our business, Piscotty said. We have to stay the course. I dont think anyones going to give up by any means.Piscottys 11th homer off Arquimedes Caminero was initially ruled off the top of the center-field wall but the call was overturned after review. Piscotty had three homers during the home stand but didnt think this one was out.Tyler Glasnow (0-1) was charged with four runs in 5 1/3 innings in his debut. The 22-year-old right-hander was the 11th starter used by the Pirates and, like Steven Brault earlier in the series, got his first career hit.It was kind of crazy waking up and coming to the ballpark and I really think I tk it all in, the 6-ft-8 Glasnow said. It was a fun experience.Hurdle was impressed.He commanded the zone, he made his pitches, the manager said. He didnt let things get out of hand at any point in time.Jordy Mercer doubled and had an RBI for the Pirates, who had come from behind to win the previous six games. They havent swept a four-game series in St. Louis since 1997 and the Cardinals havent been swept in four games at home by anyone since Colorado in 2009.Aledmys Diaz, named an All-Star earlier in the day to replace Carpenter, tripled off the top of the left-field fence and scored on a wild pitch to tie it in the fourth. Grichuks first homer since June 12 gave the Cardinals the lead for gd in the fifth.Wainwright matched his season best with nine strikeouts and got his 129th career win, passing Harry Brecheen for seventh on the franchise list. Hes permitted one run over 14 innings his last two outings.The way the first month and a half went for me was a real grind but I knew I was going to turn it around, Wainwright said. And Im on my way, I wanted that eighth win.The first pitch was delayed 31 minutes by rain. During the homestand there were 5 hours and 44 minutes of delays.TRAINERS RMPirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (triceps) is expected to make a second rehab start on Sunday.Cardinals: 3B Jhonny Peralta (left thumb) missed his second straight start.NICE GLOVECardinals 3B Greg Garcia made two nice grabs on liners, robbing Jung Ho Kang in the first and pinch-hitter Sean Rodriguez in the eighth. Garcia led off in place of Carpenter and had a double, walk and scored a run.UP NEXTPirates: Francisco Liriano (5-8, 5.34) snapped a five-game losing streak his last time out, but is 0-2 against the Cubs this year.Cardinals: Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.3 has won three straight starts and faces the Brewers for the second straight time.Cheap Air Max Free Shipping . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Cheap Air Max 97 China Discount . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. http://www.cheapairmaxchinadiscount.com/ . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. Cheap Air Max For Sale . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Discount Air Max Sale . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sabres coach Ron Rolston added NHL experience to his new staff by hiring Joe Sacco on Tuesday. Sacco is a former NHL player who spent the past four seasons as the Colorado Avalanche coach before being fired in April after the team missed the playoffs for a third straight year. Sacco had a 130-134-40 record and was an NHL coach of the year finalist in 2010 after leading the Avalanche to the playoffs in his first season. In May, Sacco coached the U.S. national team to win a bronze medal at the World Championships in Sweden. Rolston described Sacco as an ideal fit because of his coaching experience and familiarity with teaching young players, as he had done with the rebuilding Avalanche. And Rolston had to remain patient in waiting for Sacco, who had been a candidate for at least two NHL head-coaching vacancies. "Once those opportunities passed, it was a situation where -- at that point -- he was obviously a no-brainer to bring in and talk to," Rolston said. "In terms of what we had here and the direction we were going, we thought hed be a perfect fit." The Sabres are in transition by rebuilding through youth. Rolston is part of the teams transformation. He tk over as interim coach in February after Lindy Ruff was fired. He was then hired on a full-time basis in May after closing the season with a 15-11-5 record. Saccos hiring fills one of two openings in Buffalo after Rolston fired both bench coaches, James Patrick and Kevyn Adams. Rolston intends to hire one more assistant, while confirming hes retained two assistants, Teppo Numminen and goalie coach Jim Corsi. Rolston and Sacco have ties to USA Hockey, but have never worked together. Sacco was a forward during 13 seasons in the NHL before retiring in 2003.dddddddddddd Drafted by the Maple Leafs in 1987, he finished with 213 points (94 goals, 119 assists) in 738 career games split between Toronto, Anaheim, the New York Islanders, Washington and Philadelphia. Earlier in the day, Sabres general manager Darcy Regier indicated he wasnt prepared to make a major splash once the NHLs free-agency period opens Friday. He is instead interested in targeting veteran role players who would be able to complement Buffalos young lineup. "Our focus is going to be on supporting this younger group," Regier said. "It means fit. And the fit may be positional, it may be character, it may be to add some scoring." Regier remains noncommital as to whether he intends to trade his two star veterans, goalie Ryan Miller and forward Thomas Vanek. Both players are entering the final years of their contracts, leaving their futures uncertain in Buffalo. "Its incumbent upon me to have a sense of what the marketplace is or re-sign them, versus allowing them to become unrestricted and just have very gd assets walk out the dr," Regier said. "It would be fair to characterize that Im actively finding out what the marketplace is." ---- NOTES: After an up-and-down rkie season, C Mikhail Grigorenko can expect to play all of next year in Buffalo. Though the 2012 first-round draft pick is still eligible to play at the Canadian junior level, Regier said he intends to have Grigorenko develop with the Sabres. ... Regier said D Alexander Sulzer will become a free agent. ... The Sabres will hold a three-day rkie development camp in Buffalo next week. ' ' '