PITTSBURGH -- Francisco Liriano tied a Pirates opening day record by striking out 10 and singled home the first run of the 2016 Major League Baseball season for good measure, sending Pittsburgh past the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Sunday.

It was 39 degrees when Liriano threw the first pitch of the year. He allowed just three hits and walked five in six shutout innings. His RBI hit in the second came off Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright.

David Freese, the 2011 World Series MVP for the Cardinals, had two hits against his former club in his debut with Pittsburgh. Francisco Cervelli and Gregory Polanco also had two hits apiece for the Pirates.

Wainwright gave up three runs in six innings, walking three and striking out three in his first regular season start since tearing his Achilles last April.

The Cardinals tried to rally in the ninth against Mark Melancon, who led the majors in saves last year. Matt Carpenter hit an RBI single with two outs but Matt Adams, representing the tying run, flied out to end it.

Pittsburgh pointed to the honor of playing the first of the 2,430 games in the majors this season as a sign of respect for how far the franchise has come under manager Clint Hurdle.

The Cardinals and the Pirates have the two best records in MLB since the start of 2013, fueling a rivalry that -- along with the ascension of the Chicago Cubs -- could make the race for the NL Central crown one of the most compelling storylines yet again.

Hurdle specified the need to get off to a better start than the 18-22 slog that slowed the Pirates last spring as vital if the team wants to earn its first division title since 1992.

Liriano wasted little time making a solid initial impression, even if most of the sun-dappled crowd at PNC Park was bundled in parkas and beanies to ward off the chill. There was snow on the ground in most Pittsburgh suburbs on Sunday morning, and crews had to deal with ice on the protective tarp.

University of Pittsburgh running back James Conner, battling cancer, gave the crowd a jolt by throwing out the first pitch and vowing to play in 2016. Liriano built off that energy and spent six innings befuddling the Cardinals with his signature mix of sliders and changeups.

Liriano gave the Pirates the lead in the second by singling home Polanco, and John Jaso followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. That was more than enough for Liriano, whose briefly flirted with danger in the fourth and sixth. He struck out Yadier Molina and Kolten Wong to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and stranded three more runners in the sixth when Wong popped up and Jedd Gyorko grounded out.

Liriano's 10 strikeouts matched the club's opening day mark John Candelaria set in 1983 and Liriano matched in 2014.

Josh Harrison gave Liriano extra cushion with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Jordy Mercer added an RBI double off Seth Maness in the eighth.

OPENING JITTERS

While the teams may have been ready for the MLB opener, the replay system at PNC Park was not. The start was delayed 10 minutes due to an issue with the replay equipment in the visitor's dugout. The difficulties persisted, and both teams were allowed unlimited crew chief reviews, which are usually limited to the seventh inning or later or potential home runs.

A replay in the first inning confirmed that Andrew McCutchen was hit by a pitch from Wainwright.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: Left fielder Tommy Pham left in the middle of the second inning with tightness in his left oblique. Matt Holliday, who was making his first career start at first base after more than 1,663 games in either left field or as a designated hitter, moved back to left to replace Pham. Adams took over at first for Holliday. ... Reliever Jordan Walden will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of his right latissimus dorsi muscle. He missed the final five months of the 2015 season with a right rotator cuff injury.

Pirates: All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole threw six innings and 97 pitches without incident in Florida on Friday. The team has not yet announced when Cole, who dealt with a rib issue during spring training, will make his first 2016 start. ... Reliever Jared Hughes, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left lat, ran the steps at PNC Park on Sunday but has not yet been cleared to throw.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Michael Wacha starts Tuesday vs. the Pirates. An All-Star last season while going 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA, Wacha is 6-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 10 April starts during his career. The 24-year-old went 2-1 with a 3.97 ERA in 2015 against Pittsburgh.

Pirates: Jon Niese, acquired in an offseason trade with the New York Mets in exchange for second baseman Neil Walker, will make his debut with Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Niese went 9-10 with a 4.13 ERA for the Mets in 2015.