Pirates 4, Phillies 1: Francisco Liriano recorded a season-high 12 strikeouts over eight dominant innings as visiting Pittsburgh cruised to its sixth win in seven games.

Neil Walker collected two hits and an RBI while Russell Martin, Ike Davis and Gregory Polanco each drove in a run for the Pirates, who climbed within 2 1/2 games of first-place St. Louis in the National League Central and maintained their 1 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee for the second wild-card spot. Liriano (5-10) limited Philadelphia to four singles and walked two en route to his second straight scoreless outing and third in four starts.

Carlos Ruiz notched a pair of hits and drove in the lone run for the Phillies, who lost three of four in the series. Former Pirate A.J. Burnett (8-16) surrendered four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out seven in six frames.

Pittsburgh gave Liriano all the offensive support he needed in the second inning, as Martin singled with one out and scored on Davis' base hit two batters later. Philadelphia threatened in the third, with Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis beginning the frame with singles before Liriano retired the next three batters - two via strikeout - to escape unscathed.

The Pirates took control in the sixth, when Walker delivered an RBI double, Martin lifted a sacrifice fly and Polanco added a run-scoring single. Mark Melancon came in with two on and none out in the ninth and yielded Ruiz's RBI single before nailing down his 29th save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte left the game in the third with discomfort in his left arm after being hit by a pitch an inning earlier. Marte had entered the contest with a 10-game hitting streak. ... Liriano scattered three hits over six scoreless frames at Chicago on Saturday in a win over the Cubs and held St. Louis scoreless while allowing four hits in six innings in a no-decision on Aug. 25. ... Martin collected six RBIs while going 6-for-17 in the series for the Pirates, who completed a 6-4 road trip.