ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The St. Louis Cardinals used a late two-run surge to shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium III, snapping a two-game skid and pulling the Cardinals back to .500 at 60-60.

St. Louis scored once in the seventh inning and added an insurance run in the eighth, while its pitching staff combined to limit the Phillies to five hits and four double plays. The Phillies, who had won the series opener Monday by a 6-5 count, fell to 64-57 on the season.

The winning pitcher was George Soriano, who worked a scoreless seventh inning and improved to 6-3. Riley O’Brien pitched a perfect ninth for his 30th save. Alex McFarlane took the loss, his first decision of the season, after allowing one run in the eighth inning. Cristopher Sánchez started for Philadelphia and turned in a strong outing, throwing six scoreless innings while striking out seven and allowing four hits.

The game was a pitchers’ duel from the start. Andre Pallante, the Cardinals’ starter, matched Sánchez zero for zero, firing six innings of four-hit ball with two strikeouts. Neither team managed a run through the first six innings, with both offenses repeatedly failing to string together hits.

Philadelphia threatened in the top of the first when Kyle Schwarber singled and Bryce Harper walked, but Luis Arraez grounded into a force out and J.T. Realmuto grounded out to end the inning. Two innings later, Trea Turner walked with one out, but Bryce Harper grounded into a double play to erase the baserunner. The Phillies again put a runner on in the fourth when Bryson Stott walked with two outs, but Brandon Marsh lined out.

In the sixth, Trea Turner singled to lead off, but Harper grounded into another double play, and Luis Arraez grounded out. The Phillies had a chance in the seventh when Brandon Marsh singled and Alec Bohm walked, but Justin Crawford lined out to right field to end the inning.

The Cardinals finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh against Tim Mayza, who had taken over for Sánchez. Jordan Walker drew a one-out walk, and after Alec Burleson struck out and José Fermín grounded out, Walker advanced to third. Masyn Winn then delivered a line-drive single to right field, scoring Walker and giving St. Louis a 1-0 lead. Blaze Jordan grounded out to end the inning.

The Phillies put two runners on in the top of the eighth against Soriano, who walked Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner with one out. Bryce Harper then walked to load the bases, but Luis Arraez grounded into a double play that resulted in a runner being cut down at home plate. Realmuto followed with a fly out to end the threat.

St. Louis added a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the eighth against McFarlane. Everson Pereira, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the outfield, led off with a home run to center field, his fifth of the season. That extended the lead to 2-0 and proved to be the final margin. Pedro Pagés flew out, JJ Wetherholt struck out, and Iván Herrera lined out to end the inning.

O’Brien then retired the Phillies in order in the ninth, getting Bryson Stott to strike out, Brandon Marsh to line out and Alec Bohm to ground out. The save was O’Brien’s 30th of the season.

The Cardinals’ defense was a major factor, turning two double plays, while the Phillies grounded into four double plays, killing several potential rallies. St. Louis’s six hits were anchored by Winn, who went 2 for 3 with an RBI, and Pereira, who drove in the other run with his solo homer. José Fermín, Pedro Pagés, Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker each had one hit. Jordan Walker scored the first run on Winn’s single.

Philadelphia’s five hits came from Schwarber, Stott, Bohm, Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner, but none led to a run. The Phillies left runners on base in multiple innings and were unable to solve a Cardinals pitching staff that combined for 19 strikes and 42 balls while inducing 19 balls in play. The Philadelphia pitchers combined for nine strikes, 64 balls and nine balls in play.

Sánchez’s outing was his sixth scoreless start of the season, but he received no decision because the game remained scoreless when he left. Pallante, who had won his previous start Aug. 5 against the New York Yankees, was equally sharp, allowing only four hits and walking none in six innings.

The attendance was 27,222, and the game took 2 hours, 37 minutes.

The series continues Wednesday night with the same two teams at Busch Stadium III, before Philadelphia travels to Minnesota for a weekend set. St. Louis heads to Chicago to face the Cubs after the series finale.

The most important sequence of the game occurred in the bottom of the seventh, when the Cardinals manufactured the game’s first run off Mayza. Walker’s two-out walk put the go-ahead run on base, and Fermín’s groundout advanced him to third before Winn’s two-out single gave St. Louis the lead. That broke a scoreless tie and put the pressure squarely on the Phillies, who were unable to answer in the eighth or ninth.

The eighth inning was nearly as pivotal for the Phillies, who loaded the bases with three consecutive walks off Soriano and reliever Caleb Ferguson, but Arraez’s double play short-circuited the rally. The Phillies challenged an earlier play in the seventh when Bryson Stott was called out on strikes, but the call was confirmed. They also challenged a play at first base in the sixth that was overturned, giving Iván Herrera a groundout.

The Phillies had won seven of their previous nine games entering the night, but they were held scoreless for the first time since a 1-0 loss at Miami on July 28. The Cardinals, meanwhile, improved to 4-4 in their last eight games and moved to 33-27 at home.

Pereira’s home run in the eighth was his first of the season against a left-handed pitcher and gave O’Brien a two-run cushion, which was enough as he retired the side in order.

The loss was the third in five games for Philadelphia, which remains in the thick of the National League playoff race. The Cardinals, at .500, are trying to climb above the break-even mark for the first time since early July.

St. Louis’s bullpen combined for three scoreless innings, with Soriano, Stanek and O’Brien each recording clean frames. Ryne Stanek threw a scoreless seventh and Soriano handled the eighth. O’Brien needed just 12 pitches in the ninth.

The Phillies’ bullpen, meanwhile, was responsible for both runs. Mayza allowed one run in the seventh and McFarlane allowed one in the eighth.

The game featured no errors, and both starting pitchers were efficient, with Sánchez throwing 72 pitches and Pallante throwing 85.

Philadelphia’s offense had been productive in the series opener, scoring six runs on 11 hits, but Pallante and the Cardinals’ relievers kept the Phillies off balance throughout the night. The four double plays grounded into by Philadelphia were a season high, and the last one, in the eighth, came with the bases loaded and the Phillies trailing 1-0. That was the game’s defining moment, as the Phillies failed to cash in on their best scoring opportunity.

The Cardinals then used Pereira’s homer to add to their lead, giving them breathing room going into the ninth. The Phillies went down quietly in their final at-bat, with O’Brien striking out one and inducing two outs on balls in play.

The game also marked the Cardinals’ second shutout victory of the season and their first at home since a 7-0 win over Cincinnati on July 25.

The Interstat game simulator had projected a final score of Philadelphia Phillies 5, St. Louis Cardinals 4, and the Interstat ELO system had given Philadelphia a 54.40 percent probability to win. Philadelphia had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5, and the total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 8.