Pittsburgh Pirates tops St. Louis Cardinals 6-2
Game Summary
Pittsburgh Pirates topped St. Louis Cardinals 6-2. A comfortable 4-run margin reflected Pittsburgh Pirates's steady command of the game.
The turning point came in the top of the 5th. Pittsburgh Pirates pushed across 3 runs to seize control of the game.
Key Players
Rafael Flores Jr. led Pittsburgh Pirates's offense, going 1-for-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI. Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Gregory Soto threw 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 K and picked up a hold.
Joshua Báez led St. Louis Cardinals's offense, going 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI. St. Louis Cardinals reliever Cade Winquest threw 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 K and anchored the pitching staff.
Pitching Report
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Lake Bachar: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB (28 pitches). Failed to complete five innings, leaving extra burden on the bullpen. The bullpen (5 pitchers) was scoreless over 6.7 IP with 5 K — a flawless relief effort.
St. Louis Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 BB (51 pitches). Failed to complete five innings, leaving extra burden on the bullpen. Bullpen ERA 7.50 (6.0 IP, 5 ER). Relief failures directly impacted the outcome.
Hitting Analysis
Pittsburgh Pirates: 10 H, 5 RBI (team AVG 0.303). 3 extra-base hits (2 HR) — impressive power display. Drew 4 walks, boosting on-base production.
Multi-hit games: Nick Gonzales (2-for-4), Oneil Cruz (2-for-5), Jake Mangum (2-for-4).
St. Louis Cardinals: 2 H, 1 RBI (team AVG 0.071). Includes 1 HR.
Cleanup cold: Alec Burleson (0-for-3), Jordan Walker (0-for-4). The silence from the heart of the order proved costly.