Updated

Adam Wainwright went the distance and the St. Louis Cardinals knocked around Oakland's bullpen to upend the Athletics, 7-1, at O.co Coliseum.

Wainwright (11-5) twirled his fourth complete game of the season and allowed just one run on five hits while striking out eight and walking two.

Matt Adams homered twice and drove in four runs for the Cardinals, who lost the opener of this three-game series and had dropped five of six coming in.

Oakland was riding a three-game winning streak but only managed one extra-base hit Saturday and watched its starter leave early with an injury.

St. Louis was scuffling in the early innings but perked up when Jarrod Parker exited in the fourth inning with tightness in his right hamstring.

"It's unfortunate, but it happens," Parker said of his injury.

Jesse Chavez (1-2) relieved Parker and could not duplicate the starter's success. Chavez walked the first hitter in the fifth and plunked the next one before a bunt moved both runners into scoring position.

Daniel Descalso broke the scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly, Matt Carpenter added an RBI single and the Cardinals pushed four more across in the sixth.

Chavez was yanked after putting the first two on again, and within three pitches the margin tripled. Matt Holliday greeted Jerry Blevins with a run- scoring liner to center, and Adams sent the first pitch he saw over the right- field wall for his fifth home run of the season and a healthy 6-0 lead.

Adams' solo blast in the eighth narrowly cleared the 362-foot indicator on the wall in left-center for his first career multi-home run game.

"I just used my size and leverage," Adams said. "I tried to stay short and compact and get good wood on it."

Wainwright was poised for his third shutout of the season as he did not allow a runner past first base over the first seven innings. That changed in the eighth when Josh Donaldson doubled to open the frame, and Josh Reddick followed with an RBI single to spoil Wainwright's otherwise stellar outing.

Game Notes

Wainwright has recorded 15 career complete games. His career-high for a season is five (2010) ... Parker allowed just two hits in 3 2/3 innings before exiting ... Sunday's rubber match pits St. Louis' Jake Westbrook opposite Tommy Milone.