Just back from the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, Matt Adams shares what hitting a home run in his return felt like and looks ahead to the rest of the Cardinals' series against the Pirates as both teams are in the wild card hunt. (1:16)

PITTSBURGH -- The players who have batted eighth for the St. Louis Cardinals this season have a collective .807 OPS, better than the No. 3 hitters for 10 major league teams. Their No. 7 hitters have an .827 OPS, best in the majors.

In a 12-6 win that knocked the Pittsburgh Pirates to the fringes of contention on Monday at PNC Park, the No. 9 spot in St. Louis' order -- primarily pitcher Adam Wainwright -- went 3-for-4 with four RBIs.

The Cardinals don't have a single player in the top 10 in the National League in home runs, but they have seven in the top 60.

The Cardinals have redefined themselves this season, transitioning from a pitching-and-defense team to a team of sluggers. They have done it stealthily by peppering teams with power from all angles with nary an MVP candidate in sight. They might not have the scariest lineup in baseball, but they do have the longest.

Adam Wainwright has shown increased pop at the plate this season, as has most of the Cardinals' lineup. Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports

In the Cardinals' biggest game of the season -- for now -- manager Mike Matheny was able to rest his slump-ridden No. 3 hitter, Brandon Moss, and then see Moss' replacement leave the game midway through after getting hit on the hand with a pitch. The Cardinals responded with their biggest offensive showing since early June. There’s no telling who will hurt you in this Cardinals lineup, and some days they all do. Every spot in the Cardinals' order was on base at least twice.

"That versatility gives us a lot of different looks and, when guys are swinging the bat, all of them are, it's a pretty dangerous lineup all the way through," Matheny said.

The Cardinals now lead the Pirates by 4.5 games in the wild-card race. The New York Mets trail the Cardinals by just one game, however. The Cardinals, in turn, are only a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants for the top wild-card spot. It could be an interesting, complicated race.

"This is a team over there in Pittsburgh that is so talented and so good, so deep that you don't want to play them in one game," Wainwright said. "You never know what would happen. We need to put as much space between us and them as we possibly can."

Kolten Wong batted eighth Monday. He went 2-for-4 and was robbed of another hit by a diving stop from Josh Harrison. Once a foundation piece for the Cardinals, Wong has endured a rough season that has included long slumps, a minor-league demotion and a temporary position switch. But he's fighting back. Since the middle of August, Wong is batting .310 with a couple of home runs. He made a brilliant sliding catch to take a bloop hit away from Starling Marte.

"I just want to be in the game and I know what I bring to the table," Wong said. "I'm not a home run hitter. I'll run into a few here and there, but my game is all around. I play defense, offense and I think Mike's understanding that and realize, 'If I'm on my game, why not put me in there?'"

Oddly, Wong and Matt Adams were overshadowed by Wainwright, who picked up his ninth extra-base hit of the season -- an RBI double off the center-field wall -- and had a two-run single. It's not a cute little story any longer. Wainwright is an integral part of the lineup when he plays; perhaps not to the extent of Madison Bumgarner, but along those lines.

Wainwright is slugging .453, better than Matt Holliday (.450) and not far behind Bryce Harper (.465).

Wainwright credits a change in his batting stance this spring. True story. Wainwright said he is seeing the ball better ever since he opened his hips and turned his head more toward the pitcher.

"I wasted my entire career at the plate not doing that," Wainwright said. "I don't know how many more home runs I would have hit, but I'm glad I made it. It's fun."

It was, as they say, something of a survival skill early in the season. Wainwright started slowly and has had his worst major-league season on the mound. He allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out five in five innings Monday.

"By getting some hits, I was able to stay in the game a couple times. I had to get some runs pushed across because I was giving them all up," Wainwright said.

At the very least, the Cardinals had the good sense to get out of the way and let the Pirates beat themselves Monday. That's something you couldn't always have said about the Cardinals earlier this season as they fumbled to win at home or put away loitering wild-card contenders.

The Pirates, who have lost seven in a row, were a mess in the fourth inning, drawing loud boos at PNC Park in the opener of their seven-game homestand. The Cardinals scored four times, aided by two errors, to all but put it away. Jedd Gyorko homered off Jeff Locke to lead off the inning, giving the Cardinals a franchise-record 24 straight games with at least one home run.