Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — Rick Ankiel and Jason LaRue hit two-run home runs and Todd Wellemeyer beat the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third time this season in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 11-2 victory on Wednesday night.

Skip Schumaker had three hits and Wellemeyer (11-4) won his fourth straight decision and added an RBI single for St. Louis, which won for only the fourth time in its last 12 games at home.

The Cardinals are an NL-best 37-29 on the road and 34-29 at home after splitting a two-game series with the Pirates.

Ryan Doumit had three hits including his 13th homer for Pittsburgh, but Jason Davis (1-3) failed to make it out of the fourth coming off two straight effective starts. Doumit is hitting .538 (14-for-26) with five RBIs against the Cardinals and leads NL catchers with a .333 average.

Ankiel, who has moved from center field to left field the last eight games to protect an abdominal strain, got to trot around the bases after hitting a 2-2 pitch over the fence in the third to put the Cardinals ahead 5-2. Schumaker had three singles, an RBI and scored twice from the leadoff slot and is batting 14-for-30 (.467) during a seven-game hitting streak.