PITTSBURGH, April 20 (UPI) -- Lance Lynn limited Pittsburgh to a run on four hits in seven innings Friday and lowered his ERA to 1.42 in bringing St. Louis a 4-1 win over the Pirates.
Lynn has won his first three starts, giving up a total of three runs in those appearances. He struck out four and walked one before leaving with his team in front by a lone run.
Mitchell Boggs struck out two while working a perfect eighth and Jason Motte walked one in the ninth on his way to his third save.
The only run off Lynn came on a first-inning, inside-the-park homer by Alex Presley. St. Louis center fielder Skip Schumaker slammed into the wall trying to make a catch of Presley's long drive and collapsed while Presley circled the bases.
Schumaker eventually left the field and was replaced by Erik Komatsu.
Yadier Molina doubled home Carlos Beltran to tie it in the second. Lynn led off the fifth with a single and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a single by Beltran.
A solo homer by Daniel Descalso and an RBI double by Rafael Furcal in the ninth gave the Cardinals some insurance.
Charlie Morton (0-1) suffered the loss while giving up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts in five innings. The run scored by Lynn in the fifth was unearned due to a throwing error that prolonged the inning.
