"The renaissance of Lance Berkman has been one of the highlights of a Cardinals season that is likely to lack a lot of tangible fulfillment. But Berkman put up a number Friday night that is worth discussing.

With the Cardinals trailing the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 in the eighth inning, Berkman ripped his 30th homer, a two-run smash into the Cardinals' bullpen in right, and the Cardinals had their first winning streak in more than two weeks.

Granted, that streak is two, but it is progress. The Cardinals beat the Pirates 5-4 after knocking them off 8-4 the night before, when they were aided by a key eighth-inning home run from Matt Holliday.

Berkman, who banged only 14 home runs last year with Houston and the New York Yankees when he was coming off spring training knee surgery, reached the 30-homer mark for the sixth time in his career and first time since 2007. His game-winning homer came off Jose Veras after a one-out walk to Holliday.

"We hadn't done anything against (Veras) all year," said manager Tony La Russa.

As Berkman starred wearing a Cardinals 1985 throwback jersey ("too baggy," he said), Kyle McClellan finished the game in something of a throwback relief fashion with two scoreless - and perfect - innings, becoming both a winner and a closer. The victory was McClellan's 10th of the season, three in relief, after he was removed from the rotation."