hopefully add to an open debate in the campaign, Pinto sai

ST. LOUIS -- Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Edinson Volquez was expecting some pearls of wisdom from pitching coach Ray Searage before Thursday nights start at St. Louis. "He came up to me and I figured we were going to go over their lineup, do some scouting," Volquez said. "But all he said was, Go out there and win." Volquez compiled with those simple instructions, tossing a complete game six-hitter to win his fourth straight start in a 9-1 victory. Neil Walker, Josh Harrison, Russell Martin and Andrew McCutchen all drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, which avoided being swept in the four-game series. Volquez (8-6) has a 0.90 ERA in winning four consecutive starts for the first time in his career. He struck out five and walked two in recording the second complete-game win of his career. He allowed just one hit as a member of the San Diego Padres in beating Houston 1-0 on July 19, 2012. "He used his breaking ball effectively and he got outs when he needed them," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Its about throwing strikes and changing speeds. It was a real good effort." Volquez seemed to get better as the game went along. He needed a season-high 114 pitches to give the Pirates their first complete game of the season. "He had command of all of his pitches," St. Louis infielder Matt Carpenter said. "We just werent able to get anything going." Volquez allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in each of the first four innings. He then gave up just two hits over the final five. "When he gets past the fifth, he smells the finish," Hurdle said. Shelby Miller (7-8) allowed four runs in five innings. He walked four and struck out one. Walker extended his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games with a two-run double in the fifth that extended the Pirates lead to 4-1. McCutchen started the three-run uprising with a run-scoring single that broke a 1-all tie. McCutchen drove in a run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly. Harrison added a two-run double in the inning that made it 6-1. Martin homered off Jason Motte in the ninth. Martin drove in his 500th career run in the first inning. The Pirates had been held to six runs in losing the first three games of the series. They were a combined 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position in those losses. On Thursday, they came up with several key hits in a 4-for-11 effort with runners in scoring position. "We took advantage of some mistakes and some opportunities and we were able to play our game," Walker said. The Cardinals were playing without All-Star catcher Yadier Molina, who tore a ligament in his right thumb in Wednesdays 5-2 win. Molina will undergo surgery on Friday and is expected to miss 8 to 12 weeks. "I think it was a tough night for our club in general," manager Mike Mathney said. "We just didnt look right from the beginning." St. Louis tied it in the third on a sacrifice fly by Carpenter. Kolten Wong began the inning with a single. Miller lost his third straight decision. "I didnt do a good job of getting ahead in the count," Miller said. "I ended up walking guys and they took advantage of the situation." NOTES: St. Louis OF Allen Craig, mired in an 0-for-13 skid did not play Thursday. ...The Cardinals open a three-game series in Milwaukee on Friday. Joe Kelly (1-1, 0.59) will face Yovani Gallardo (5-5, 3.45) in the first game. Kelly is making his first appearance since straining his left hamstring on April 16. ... Pittsburgh will travel to Cincinnati for a three-game series beginning Friday. LHP Jeff Locke (2-1, 3.08) will face Mat Latos (2-1, 2.41) in the opener. ... St. Louis C Tony Cruz, who is replacing Molina, allowed a passed ball in the sixth that brought in a run. ...There are now just three teams without a complete game this season -- Kansas City, Colorado and the Chicago Cubs. 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The stress, the waiting, the whispers about whether he doped during his stellar cycling career, all of it ended when - after nearly two years - federal prosecutors closed an investigation of him last week without bringing any charges.GENEVA - The fight to remove Sepp Blatter from the most powerful job in world soccer intensified in Europe on Wednesday.In a surprise entry to the FIFA presidential contest, Portuguese great Luis Figo — the 2001 world player of the year — claimed the required support of five national federations by the entry deadline Thursday.I look at the reputation of FIFA right now and I dont like it. Football deserves better, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid playmaker said in a statement without giving detailed campaign plans.Meanwhile, Dutch federation president Michael van Praag launched his campaign in Amsterdam, promising to modernize FIFA, expand the World Cup with more places for non-European countries and give Blatter an advisory role.FIFA is doing badly and has lost all credibility, said Van Praag, who famously told Blatter last year in Brazil that people no longer took him seriously. FIFA is constantly under suspicion. Of conflicts of interest, of nepotism, of corruption.Van Praag said he had no animosity toward Blatter and spoke with him to offer a position running a foundation helping less privileged children.In fact, I like him a lot as a person, the 67-year-old Dutch official said. However, someone who has led an organization for so many years and who has become the personification of its poor image, can no longer be the face of a modernization operation or of a new FIFA.Blatters opponents also include FIFA Vice-President Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.Two more possible candidates from France, former FIFA official and longtime Blatter ally Jerome Champagne and former player David Ginola, seek to file nominations by Thursday evenings deadline.Still, Blatter is strongly favoured to win a May 29 vote by the 209 FIFA member federations, despite bribery and financial scandals which implicated several of his executive committee colleagues.Soccer leaders worldwide have shown little desire for change during Blatters 17-year reign overseeing spectacular commercial success for the World Cup. FIFA has cash reserves of $1.5 billion and distributes increasing bonuses to members.Figo has little experience of sports administration, but said a mood for change exists.I have seen the image of FIFA deteriorate, and as I speak to many people in football — to players, managers and association presidents — so many of those people have toold me that something has to be done, the 42-year-old Portuguese said.ddddddddddddFigos entry into the race complicates Europes strategy, potentially splitting support for him and Van Praag among the 53 UEFA voters, including some traditional Blatter loyalists. UEFA is the only one of FIFAs six continental bodies actively opposing Blatter.Figo was UEFAs ambassador for the Champions League final in Lisbon last year, and Van Praag is an elected member of UEFAs executive board which met on Monday.Thats when Van Praag announced his bid, saying he was running because no credible challenger had emerged. On Wednesday he further distanced himself from UEFA when saying his campaign was my initiative.The former president of four-time European champion Ajax is the first contender to reveal his nominees: Belgium, Faeroe Islands, Romania, Sweden and Scotland, plus his native Netherlands.The need for a European candidate was created last August when UEFA president Michel Platini opted not to stand against Blatter, while encouraging rivals for his 78-year-old former mentor.Platinis spokesman Pedro Pinto welcomed Figos entry.Credible candidates with new ideas will hopefully add to an open debate in the campaign, Pinto said in a statement. It is good for FIFA, and it is good for football to have valid candidates with extensive experience in the sport, and from different parts of the world.Platini has also supported Prince Alis candidacy.Ginolas bid is taken less seriously as hes being paid by a bookmaker to run. FIFAs ethics rules forbid officials having links to betting, gambling, lotteries and similar events or transactions connected with football matches.Figos paid contract with Asian gambling operator Dafabet, including as an ambassador for its 2014 World Cup promotion, has now ended, the firm said.Now that Luis has decided to stand for FIFA presidency it has been mutually agreed to end the ambassador contract, so he can concentrate his time fully on his campaign, Dafabets head of sports marketing and sponsorship, John Cruces, wrote in an email reply.The winning candidate needs two-thirds of the votes for victory in a first round of secret voting in Zurich, or a simple majority in subsequent rounds.___Associated Press writer Mike Corder in Amsterdam and AP Sports Writer John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report ' ' '