Martín Pérez pitched six scoreless innings, Rowdy Tellez homered into the Allegheny River and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat St. Louis 5-0 on Wednesday to take two of three games from the Cardinals.

Pérez (2-5) allowed four hits, three in his final two innings, and walked five with two strikeouts. The 33-year-old left-hander entered with a 5.61 ERA after allowing 11 runs in 8 1/3 innings over his last two starts.

Tellez chased Matthew Liberatore (2-3) at the start of the fourth inning by sending a fastball 447 feet into the river beyond the wall in right field, extending the Pirates' lead to five runs.

Liberatore allowed five runs on four hits in three innings, walking three and striking out three.

The Pirates, who have won eight of their last 10 games, took two of three from the Phillies and Cardinals in their first two series after the All-Star break. They are third in the NL Central, one game behind second-place St. Louis.

The Cardinals, 1/2 game ahead of the Padres for the third wild card, stranded 11 runners and slipped to 3-3 since coming out of the break.

Connor Joe capped a four-run second inning with a two-out, two-run double to left-center, a liner that center fielder Dylan Carlson failed to bring in on a dive. Joe, batting third, picked up his first RBIs since June 11.

Tellez opened the scoring with an RBI single to center. Liberatore walked Andrew McCutchen with the bases loaded to make it 2-0.

Pedro Pagés and Masyn Winn each hit a two-out single before Alec Burleson walked for St. Louis in the fifth inning. Pérez got Willson Contreras to ground to third, leaving the bases loaded.

Contreras flew out to right in the seventh, ending the inning with runners on second and third.

Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (10-6, 3.54 ERA) starts Friday, beginning a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals.