Beltran’s blast propels Cards to win

Carlos Beltran hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth, Adam Wainwright pitched seven solid innings and the St. Louis Cardinals escaped a ninth-inning jam for a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.

Philadelphia put runners at first and third with nobody out against Edward Mujica, but the fill-in closer retired three straight batters to preserve the victory.

Yadier Molina went 3 for 4 with two RBIs for the Cardinals, who had seven hits one night after getting held to Beltran’s seventh-inning double in a 5-0 loss to A.J. Burnett and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Wainwright (3-1) wasn’t as sharp as his previous start, when he pitched a four-hitter and matched a career high with 12 strikeouts Saturday in an 8-0 win over Milwaukee, but he was still effective.