ST. LOUIS — Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer, his fourth in four games, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Tuesday night.

Tommy Edman added three singles and drove in two runs for St. Louis.

The Cardinals returned home after dropping three straight at the Padres to win their fourth consecutive game this season against Pittsburgh.

Arenado hit his 10th homer in the first inning. With two outs, Arenado sent a 2-0 pitch into the left-field seats to score Dylan Carlson, who drew a walk.

St. Louis went ahead 4-0 in the second on a two-out bloop single against the shift to shallow left by Edman, scoring Harrison Bader and Edmundo Sosa, who drove in a run in the third on a two-out double.

Pittsburgh scored twice in the fifth on a fielder's choice and single by Erik Gonzalez, cutting the St. Louis lead to 5-2.

John Gant (3-3) threw 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed two runs and five hits. Alex Reyes pitched the ninth to record his 12th save in 12 chances.

JT Brubaker (3-3), who had been charged with two earned runs or fewer in six of his first seven starts, gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Pittsburgh's leadoff batter Adam Frazier singled in the third. He has a National League-leading 52 hits, which also ranks third in the majors.

Pirates C Michael Perez got the start Tuesday and went 0 for 4. In seven games played in May, he is hitless in 23 at-bats. His last hit came April 24 against Minnesota.

Pirates: Claimed INF Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Cubs and designated Troy Stokes, Jr. for assignment. ... the Pirates traded RHP Sean Poppen to the Tampa Bay Rays, five days after the team designated him for assignment, for cash considerations.