PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carlos Martinez pitched into the ninth inning for his third consecutive win and Matt Holliday had a three-run homer among his three hits as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Saturday night. The Cardinals won for the sixth time in seven games. Pittsburgh lost its fourth in a row.

Martinez (7-5) gave up one run and six hits in 8 1/3 innings before being lifted when the Pirates put runners on first and second with one out. Trevor Rosenthal got two outs for his 12th save in 14 opportunities. He blew a save in the ninth inning Friday night in a game the Cardinals eventually won 9-3 in 12 innings.

Martinez threw 122 pitches in an attempt to pitch his first career complete game in his 49th start. He struck out five and walked three. Before starting his winning streak, Martinez lost five straight starts. Holliday’s 10th home run capped a four-run fifth inning against Francisco Liriano (4-6).

In other Midwest MLB News…

Cheslor Cuthbert hit a pair of solo home runs, Danny Duffy pitched six shutout innings and the Kansas City Royals ended an eight-game losing streak, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-1 Saturday. Kendrys Morales also homered as the World Series champion Royals stopped their longest slide since May 2013.

The Kansas City Royals have recalled right-hander Dillon Gee from Triple-A Omaha. Left-hander Scott Alexander was optioned to Omaha on Saturday to create a roster spot. The 30-year-old Gee has appeared in 11 games with the Royals, including four starts.