Cardinals can’t hold late lead, fall 9-4 to Pirates in series opener

PITTSBURGH — Adam Frazier capped Pittsburgh’s six-run seventh inning with a two-run triple, and the Pirates rallied to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 on Friday night.

Last-place Pittsburgh scored each of its runs in the seventh with two outs. Josh Bell hit a two-run single off Andrew Miller. After run-scoring hits by pinch hitter Melky Cabrera and José Osuna, Frazier made it 7-4 when he tripled high off the 21-foot wall in right field.

The NL Central-leading Cardinals had won six of eight. Miller (4-5), the second of three relievers in the seventh, got just one out and was charged with three runs and three hits.