After a thrilling 10-inning 2-1 victory Friday night, the St. Louis Cardinals went back to work Saturday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals, entering Saturday’s match-up with a 16-6 record…their best start in 71 years.
For St. Louis on the mound was John Lackey, who, despite losing in his last start, rebounded after a poor effort two weeks ago. The Pirates would send Francisco Liriano, the 31-year old who spent most of his career with the Minnesota Twins whose had his fair share of highlight pitching moments.
And just as last night’s game was a low-scoring thriller, so too was Saturday’s game.
Jon Jay led off the bottom of the first against Liriano, and would ground out to Jordy Mercer. Third baseman Matt Carpenter walked to put a runner on for Matt Holliday with one out, but would ground into a double play to end the inning.
The second inning started with Pedro Alvarez at the plate for Pittsburgh. Lackey would strike him out for his first strike out for the afternoon. Francisco Cervelli as well as Mercer would get out, as Lackey would throw a 1-2-3 second. In the bottom half of the second, Yadier Molina, with two outs, came close to giving the Cardinals their first hit of the game, but it wasn’t to be, as the teams remained scoreless.
In the top of the third, during an at-bat with Josh Harrison, Polanco, who was already at first, stole second, and on an error, advanced to third base. Kolten Wong took a shot to the forearm during the stolen base, but he would continue playing. Harrison then gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with a base hit. Andrew McCutchen popped out, but Neil Walker would hit a two-out single. This brought up Starling Marte, who struck out (Lackey’s second strikeout of the game), as both teams headed into the bottom of the second with a 1-0 lead.
Lackey would get two more strikeouts in the fourth inning, but Cervelli would reach on an error by Wong. Another strikeout for Lackey (which was his fourth) ended the top of the fourth. He would also get out of a jam in the fifth inning.
Meanwhile, Liriano continued to no-hit the Cardinals entering the sixth inning. Peter Bourjos then stepped up to the plate, and ended the no-hitter. Jason Heyward, pinch-hitting for Lackey, followed that with a single over Harrison’s head, as Bourjos advanced to third base. Jay would line-out to Alvarez at first, but a poor throw to Cervelli by Alvarez would be enough for Bourjos to score and the Cardinals to tie the game at 1-1.
Seth Maness started the seventh inning in relief for Lackey, and would pitch a shutout half inning of work, despite two runners getting on base. He would pitch into the top of the eighth, but with one out and a runner on first, manager Mike Matheny put in Randy Choate to face Corey Hart. Choate struck out Hart for out number two. Enter Mitch Harris, who had the job of getting the final out, by facing Harrison.
He did just that, as the Cardinals headed to the bottom of the eighth tied with Pittsburgh 1-1.
Liriano remained in the game during the bottom half of the eighth inning, even after allowing a base hit to pinch-hitter Matt Adams.
Closer Trevor Rosenthal once again entered the game despite it being a tie game. Marte would get his second infield hit of the game with two outs, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After intentionally walking Alvarez, Cervelli flied out to center field to head to the bottom of the ninth. But the Cardinals couldn’t score in the ninth, and once again, the game would head into extra innings.
Kevin Siegrist took the mound in relief for Rosenthal, and right away allowed a double by Mercer, but bounced back with a strike out of Jung-Ho Kang, a fly out of Sean Rodriguez, and a fly out by Harrison.
As for the Pirates, Jared Hughes pitched in relief during the bottom of the tenth inning, and shut down the Cardinals in a 1-2-3 bottom of the tenth, as both teams headed to the 11th inning. Siegrist exited the game in the top of the 11th, as Carlos Villanueva entered, and would do his job, getting out of a jam, as the Pirates would leave 18 on base heading into the bottom of the 11th.
Hughes continued to pitch in the bottom half of the inning. Bourjos, with his fast speed, led off with a double down the left field line. Up next was Pete Kozma. But during the at-bat, Bourjos would be picked off. Kozma then got a base hit, followed by a base hit by Jay which sent Kozma to third with one out.
Carpenter would then end the game with a walk-off sacrifice fly to left field, as the Cardinals picked up their second consecutive 2-1 extra-inning victory.
Lackey’s (no decision) final line on the afternoon: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. And Liriano’s (no decision) final line on the afternoon: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.
Villanueva picked up his third win of the season.
In another great pitching outing by both teams, the Cardinals, now with a record of 17-6, once again came out on top. After Lackey exited, the bullpen picked up where he left off. Pittsburgh left 18 runners on base, despite out-hitting the Cardinals by over five hits.
The win gives the Cardinals another series victory, regardless of tomorrow’s outcome. They have not lost a series all season.
Tomorrow, Michael Wacha will look to win his fifth straight game of the season.
(AP Photo/Bill Boyce)
