The Pittsburgh Pirates came back twice to tie today's ball game but it wasn't enough as they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals by the score of 6-4. Matt Carpenter hit the walk-off home run for the Cardinals to win by the score of 6-4.
The resilient Pittsburgh Pirates offense made two comebacks coming back from being down 3-2 and 4-3 to tie the game at four in the bottom of the ninth. However, it wasn't enough as Matt Carpenter hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cardinals the 6-4 victory.
Jeff Locke started the game and pitched very effectively for the Pirates going 6.0 strong innings. He gave up three runs on the day on four hits while walking two and striking out one. Locke pitched very efficiently only throwing 89 pitches in his 6.0 innings of work.
Locke has not been very efficient in his previous starts and Today it paid dividens for the Pirates. He got bailed out by a couple of great defensive plays as well by Jordy Mercer and Starling Marte. If Locke can build on this start and stay efficient, it could mean big things for the Pirates in years to come.
The Pirates took the lead early on in this one as with nobody out in the top of the first, John Jaso singled, Andrew McCutchen doubled and Gregory Polanco followed with an RBI single that scored Jaso to give the Pirates an early 1-0 lead.
The Bucs would add another run after Starling Marte singled to give the Pirates runners at first and third with nobody out. Then Francisco Cervelli struck out and Jung Ho Kang hit a sacrifice fly to put the Pirates ahead 2-0 early on.
Locke didn't hold the lead for very long as the Cardinals responded right away in the bottom of the first. He loaded the bases right away as Matt Carpenter doubled followed by walks by Stephen Piscotty and Matt Holliday. Then Randal Grichuck singled in Carpenter and Piscotty to tie the game at 2-2.
The Cardinals added an insurance run in the bottom of the third as Piscotty hit his fifth home run of the year to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. Then both offenses went quiet as pitching started to take over in this game.
Adam Wainwright pitched a good game for the Cardinals going 6.1 innings giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out five batters. Wainwright missed all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon and has been struggling early on this year and is trying to fight back to his former dominant self.
The Pirates made the first of their two comebacks in the top of the seventh inning. Josh Harrison lead off the inning with a double and Jordy Mercer sacrificed him to third base with one out. Then John Jaso came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to tie the game at three.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Piscotty doubled to give the Cardinals a runner at second with one out. Then Grichuck drove in his third run of the day on an RBI single giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.
In the top of the ninth, the game looked like it was over for the Pirates as after the first two men of the inning reached McCutchen struck out and Polanco grounded into a fielders choice to give the Pirates runners at first and third with two outs.
Then Starling Marte came in with a clutch hit as he hit an RBI ground rule double to score David Freese and tie the game at four. It was the Pirates second comeback of the game as they looked to take this game in to extra innings.
However, the Cardinals put a stop to the hot quickly as in the bottom of the ninth Aledmys Diaz lead-off with a single and the next batter flew out to give the Cardinals a runner at first with one out. Then Matt Carpenter hit the game winning shot, a walk-off two-run home run, giving the Cardinals a 6-4 victory.
It was the first loss the Pirates had to the Cardinals this season and tied the series at one game a piece. The Pirates currently sit at 16-14 and are in second place in the NL Central.
The Pirates and Cardinals wrap up this three game series tomorrow afternoon at Busch Stadium. Michael Wacha (2-2 2.65) will pitch for the Cardinals and will be opposed by Gerrit Cole (2-3 3.95) for the Pirates. First pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 2:15 p.m.
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