Mr. June Does it Again: Bryan Reynolds 2-Run Bomb Beats Cardinals 6-4

In the top of the seventh, the Pirates and Bryan Reynolds said ENOUGH and halted the losing streak at nine games. The inning started rather innocent with two groundouts by Tyler Heineman and Hoy Park. Tucupita Marcano kept the inning alive with a two-out single, giving way to Bryan Reynolds. 

Mr. June, as Reynolds has been known, continued his hot streak and belted a two-run, two-out home run giving the Pirates a late 6-4 lead. That 6-4 score was the final and proved to be enough as the Pirates salvaged one game against the Cardinals. As a side note, David Bednar earned an eight-out save, electric stuff folks.

Roansy Contreras didn’t have a terrible game, so to speak, but it wasn’t the most efficient of outings for the 22-year-old. Contreras didn’t seem to have his swing and miss stuff with only six swings and misses. The six swings and misses were distributed evenly between his four-seam, slider, and curveball, with two going to each.

Contreras’ velocity topped at 97 mph and averaged out around the 95 mph mark. Contreras’ final line read 4.1 innings pitched, six hits, four runs (three earned), three walks, and two strikeouts on 85 pitches (54 for strikes). 

In the top of the first, Reynolds scored on a Daniel Vogelbach groundout, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead. 

Cal Mitchell continued the first inning with an RBI single, scoring Ke’Bryan Hayes. The Pirates lead the game 2-0.

A throwing error by Jack Flaherty and a Park RBI single in the top of the second inning doubled the Pirates’ lead 4-0 over the Cardinals.

Dylan Carlson belted his fourth home run of the year for the Cardinals, cutting their deficit against the Pirates to 4-1 in the bottom of the second inning. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Brendan Donovan smacked a two-RBI double, cutting the Pirates’ lead to just one with a 4-3 deficit.

The fifth inning continued for the Cardinals with a forceout scoring Donovan, and just like that, the Pirates lead disappeared with the score reading 4-4. 

Takeaways 

Contreras Needs These Games: In what is most likely a losing year for the Pirates, Contreras may face games where he faces tough competition and will face adversity. For a 22-year-old to face that adversity in the Major Leagues has extreme value. 

EIGHT OUTS?!: David Bednar was on full display Wednesday night. For the first time in his career, Bednar earned his first-ever eight-out save.

Errors Galore: The Pirates have now committed an error in seven straight games. The last time the Pirates did this was back in 2019.