(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals will try to avoid losing their fifth straight game and salvage the finale of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon at PNC Park.

St. Louis has dropped four in a row to fall five games off the lead in the National League Wild Card standings. It has no shot at a Central title since the Chicago Cubs lead the division by 11 games over St. Louis. The Cardinals have not been swept in three games by the Pirates since August 11-13 of the 2006 campaign.

The Cardinals suffered a 7-6 loss in 12 innings on Saturday, as Felipe Lopez clubbed a two-run homer and Skip Schumaker scored two runs and drove in another. Starter Adam Wainwright turned in a lackluster performance for St. Louis, giving up six runs on nine hits in four-plus innings of work for the no-decision.

Chris Perez gave up one run in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss. Brad Thompson will toe the rubber for the Cardinals on Sunday and he is 5-2 with a 4.61 earned run average in 23 games (four starts) this season. In 10 career relief appearances against the Pirates, the righty is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA.

Pittsburgh has won two in a row since a six-game slide and is aiming for its first sweep since taking all three meetings against Houston from July 21-23. In Saturday's extra-inning affair with the Cardinals, Brandon Moss doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning and Ryan Doumit finished 2-for-4 with a walk, three RBI and a run scored for Pittsburgh.

Starter Ian Snell was victimized for six runs -- five earned -- on nine hits in four innings of work and seven relievers combined to toss eight scoreless frames. Craig Hansen earned the win after he pitched the 12th inning.

Jason Davis will handle pitching duties for the Bucos on Sunday and he is just 1-4 with a 5.90 ERA in 12 games, three of which have been starts, this season. Davis has faced St. Louis just once in his career and it was on August 20 this season in an 11-2 loss at Busch Stadium.

Davis, a right-hander, allowed eight runs - six earned - and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings against the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh has won nine of 16 matchups in the series this season.