Sunday’s Mother’s Day game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates featured Tyler Lyons (0-0, 6.23) pitching for the Cardinals, and Jeff Locke (2-2, 4.85) pitching for the Pirates. The night prior, it was the first time since 2014 that the Pirates had defeated the Cardinals in a game, as they wound up winning 7-5.
This time, it was a rubber game in the three-game series.
And for the first time all year, it did not go in the favor of the Cardinals, as the Pirates would halt a St. Louis comeback, and would end up emerging victorious 4-3.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Jung Ho Kang stepped up to bat. Kang, who had hit his first major league home run against Trevor Rosenthal back when the two teams faced off two weeks ago, took an 0-2 pitch from Lyons and hit his second home run of the season to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
Both Lyons and Locke pitched scoreless baseball for the next two innings, but in the bottom of the fourth inning, that changed. After an infield single by Starling Marte, he was able to advance to third base after a throwing error by Lyons. Jordy Mercer followed with an infield single of his own later in the inning, which increased the Pirates lead to 2-0 over the Cardinals.
Locke held the Cardinals without a run until the top of the sixth inning. It started with a ground-out by Jason Heyward, as well as a ground-out by Lyons. With two outs, Peter Bourjos singled to left field. Up next was Kolten Wong, riding a seven game hitting game, and already having one home run during the series entering Sunday. And with one swing, Wong hit a two-out home run to right field, tying the game at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
Matt Belisle entered the game in relief for Lyons, and the 2-2 tie ended in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Andrew McCutchen led off with a double to center field, and Marte singled, sending McCutchen to third. Gregory Polanco hit a sacrifice fly, scoring McCutchen, to make it 3-2 Pirates.
The following inning, however, St. Louis would once again tie the game.
With one out, Mark Reynolds hit a double of his own to deep center field. He wound up at third after a wild pitch by Locke. Heyward stepped up to bat, and hit a single to right, scoring Reynolds and tying the game at 3-3. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that would be the last run they would score during the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Steve Lombardozzi scored on a single by Kang, giving the Pirates a 4-3 lead, and that sole run was all they needed to take the lead over the Cardinals and never look back.
Pittsburgh would wind up winning 4-3, and handing St. Louis their first series loss of the season, although for the Cardinals, it is still impressive that they had a series-winning streak as long as they did.
The Cardinals drop to 22-9 on the season, as the Pirates improve to 15-16.
St. Louis, after 20 straight days, will be off on Monday, and return the next day to start a road inter-league series against the Indians.
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
