Cardinals 12, Pirates 8: Jon Jay collected three hits while driving in three and scoring three times and Joe Kelly tossed six solid innings to secure his eighth straight victory as host St. Louis won the opener of a pivotal three-game series.

Yadier Molina belted a three-run homer to highlight a seven-run seventh inning. Jay, Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran ripped consecutive RBI doubles in the third and Matt Carpenter added an RBI double and scored three times for the Cardinals, who moved within a half-game of Pittsburgh in the National League Central.

After two runners scored on Beltran's single in the first inning, St. Louis continued to flex its muscles against A.J. Burnett (7-10) in the third. Jay's double to the left-center field gap plated Carpenter before Holliday and Beltran followed suit as the Cardinals collected four consecutive extra-base hits to seize a 5-0 lead.

Jay, who ended an 0-for-13 slump with a single in the first inning, capped his 3-for-3 performance in the seventh with a single up the middle to score Pete Kozma and Carpenter and give St. Louis an 8-1 lead. Holliday followed with an RBI double and Molina belted his 11th homer as the Cardinals strung together nine consecutive hits in the frame.

Kelly (8-3) won for the fifth time in as many starts - pitching six innings in each contest. The 25-year-old defeated Pittsburgh for the second straight outing after allowing one run on eight hits while striking out four.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Josh Harrison belted a pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 12-5. SS Clint Barmes worked a bases-loaded walk in the ninth and LF Jose Tabata drilled a two-run double with two outs, but RHP Edward Mujica retired Harrison for his 36th save as the Pirates fell for the seventh time in 12 contests. ... Burnett was battered for five runs on six hits in three innings to drop to 8-6 against the Cardinals in his career. ... Kozma snapped an 0-for-33 slide after legging out a bunt single in the seventh inning. ... With his second triple in as many days, Carpenter extended his hitting streak to seven games in the third.