Pirates 10, Padres 1: Gerrit Cole struck out a career-high 12 in six innings as host Pittsburgh routed San Diego to avoid a four-game sweep.

Neil Walker went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, Jose Tabata also drove in three runs and Pedro Alvarez hit his 34th homer as the Pirates moved within one game of first-place St. Louis in the National League Central. Pittsburgh has a one-game lead over Cincinnati for the NL’s first wild-card spot.

Cole (9-7) allowed one run and four hits while winning his third consecutive start. The right-hander struck out two in each of his six innings and has yielded just two runs in 20 frames over a three-outing stretch.

San Diego opened the scoring on Tommy Medica’s single in the first and Pittsburgh tied it up in the bottom of the frame on a fielder’s choice by Andrew McCutchen. Alvarez broke the tie in the fourth with his blast into the center-field bleachers off Ian Kennedy (6-10), who allowed six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Alvarez’s homer was the first salvo of a five-run outburst that included a two-run double by Tabata and Walker’s two-run homer. Tabata and Walker each had RBI singles during a three-run seventh that put the game away.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cole’s 12 strikeouts were one shy of the franchise record for rookies. John Candelaria (1975) and Jose DeLeon (1983) share the mark of 13. … OF Chris Denorfia had two of San Diego’s five hits. … Pirates C Russell Martin sat out for the second straight day as manager Clint Hurdle wants him fresh for the upcoming three-game series against Cincinnati.