PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Jose Fermin hit a tiebreaking two-run double after Pedro Pages and JJ Wetherholt hit consecutive home runs in the ninth inning, rallying the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night at PNC Park.

The Cardinals, who had been held hitless through 6 2/3 innings, broke up a perfect game bid in the seventh and then erased a 2-0 deficit with a four-run ninth. The victory improved St. Louis to 15-13, while Pittsburgh fell to 16-13 before an announced crowd of 9,787. The game lasted 2 hours, 38 minutes.

Pittsburgh took the lead in the first inning. Brandon Lowe drew a walk off Cardinals starter Dustin May, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s sharp line-drive single to right field. The Pirates added a run in the second when Nick Gonzales led off with a double, advanced to third on a groundout and came home on Jake Mangum’s ground-ball single to right.

May worked six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks. He left with the Pirates holding a 2-0 lead, thanks largely to the efforts of Pittsburgh starter Wilber Dotel. Dotel pitched four perfect innings, striking out three and facing the minimum 12 batters before exiting. Four Pirates relievers followed with hitless relief until the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, with two outs and the Cardinals still without a hit, Alec Burleson legged out an infield single to third base off Evan Sisk. The play ended Dotel’s combined perfect game bid, though Jordan Walker was then called out on strikes after a replay review overturned an initially called ball. The inning ended without further damage.

St. Louis remained scoreless through the eighth. In the ninth, Pittsburgh reliever Dennis Santana took the mound with a 2-0 lead. After Thomas Saggese grounded out, Pages launched a solo home run to left field, his third of the season. Wetherholt followed with a homer to right-center, his sixth, tying the game at 2.

Ivan Herrera then walked and Victor Scott II entered as a pinch runner. Burleson singled softly to third base, putting runners at first and second. Walker walked to load the bases, and Fermin, who had entered the game earlier as a pinch hitter, lined a double into the left-field corner, scoring Scott and Burleson to give St. Louis a 4-2 lead. The Cardinals loaded the bases again later in the inning but did not score further.

Ryan Fernandez earned the win in relief, pitching two perfect innings with four strikeouts. George Soriano worked the ninth for the save, allowing one hit and striking out one. Soriano recorded his first save of the season. Santana took the loss, dropping to 2-2.

Key performances in the game included Dotel’s four no-hit innings with three strikeouts, May’s six-inning effort despite taking a no-decision, and Fernandez’s dominant two-inning relief. Fermin finished 2 for 2 with two RBIs. For Pittsburgh, Justin Lawrence, Cam Sanders, Isaac Mattson, Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery each threw scoreless relief, but the bullpen could not hold the lead in the ninth.

The Cardinals had lost their previous three games at home to Seattle before this road win. Pittsburgh had won three of its previous four games, including a series victory at Milwaukee over the weekend.

The series continues Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at PNC Park before both teams return home for weekend series. St. Louis will host the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning Friday, while Pittsburgh hosts the Cincinnati Reds.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Pittsburgh Pirates 7, St. Louis Cardinals 6. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Pittsburgh with a 55.00 percent probability to win. Pittsburgh had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 6 went over the over/under line of 8.