ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Freese and Matt Carpenter each had three of the Cardinals’ season-high 18 hits, handing the Los Angeles Dodgers their second straight loss since acquiring Hanley Ramirez in a 5-2 victory.

Obtained a day earlier from Miami, Ramirez started at third base and batted fifth for the second straight game. He had an infield hit, two walks and a steal, and he also hit a double-play grounder. The 2009 NL batting champion is 2 for 6 with three walks and an RBI with his new team.

Matt Holliday hit his 17th homer, his third on a 6-1 homestand for St. Louis, which fell behind 4-2 by allowing four runs in the fifth and then scored four in the bottom half. Allen Craig and Tony Cruz each had an RBI for the Cardinals, who are six back in the NL Central.

Nationals 8, Brewers 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Edwin Jackson pitched seven scoreless innings, Steve Lombardozzi hit a three-run triple and Washington sent Milwaukee to its seventh consecutive loss.

The Nationals have won six consecutive games, matching a season high, and improved to 59-39. The last time a Washington based team was 20 games over .500 was 1933, when the American League Senators finished 99-53 and lost the World Series in five games to the New York Giants.

Jackson (6-6) scattered eight hits and a walk while striking out four.

Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo (8-8) gave up seven runs on seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts in five innings.

Pirates 5, Astros 3

HOUSTON (AP) — Prized prospect Starling Marte homered on his first major league pitch to help the Pirates hand the Astros their 10th straight loss.

A.J. Burnett (12-3) shut out Houston until Chris Johnson and Carlos Corporan connected for solo homers in the eighth. Burnett allowed four hits with five strikeouts in 7.1 innings.

Johnson hit a two-out RBI single off Joel Hanrahan in the ninth, but Hanrahan struck out Brian Bogusevic for his 30th save.

Garrett Jones and Clint Barmes each added a two-run homer for Pittsburgh.

Dallas Keuchel (1-3) gave up five hits and five runs in six innings for Houston.

Mets 3, D-Backs 1

PHOENIX (AP) — Matt Harvey dazzled in his major league debut, holding Arizona to three hits and striking out 11 over 5.1 innings.

Scott Hairston hit a tworun double and Andres Torres tripled and scored for the Mets, who snapped a six-game losing streak.

New York won for the second time in 13 games since the All-Star break, narrowly avoiding the fate of the 1962 club that went 1-14 to start the second half.

Harvey (1-0) set a franchise record for strikeouts in a debut. He also doubled and singled to become the first pitcher since 1900 to strike out more than 10 and collect two hits in his first game.

Arizona’s Wade Miley (11-6) gave up three runs and nine hits in 5.1 innings.