Oneil Cruz Delivers Walk-Off Single to Lift Pirates Over Cardinals

PITTSBURGH — After Bryan Reynolds tied the game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bototm of the 10th inning, Oneil Cruz delivered a walk-off single in a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on Wednesday night.

With the Pirates (41-44) trailing by a run, Reynolds played automatic runner Jared Triolo, who pinch ran for Joey Bart.

On the very next pitch, Cruz ripped a single that reached the right field wall to give the Pirates the win and even the three-game series at one game apiece.

Aroldis Chapman (1-3) collected his first win with the Pirates after covering the final two innings.  Andrew Kittredge (1-4) took the loss for the Cardinals.

Rowdy Tellez homered as part of a three-hit performance. After recording singles in each of his first two at-bats of the game, Tellez snuck a home run just inside the left-field foul pole to extend the Pirates’ lead to 3-1 in the seventh. 

For Tellez, it was his fourth game this season in which he collected three hits. 

On the mound for the Pirates, Jared Jones threw 78 pitches in his five innings. He held the Cardinals to one run on four hits, walked a pair and struck out five.

It was the first time the rookie right-hander pitched since June 22, when he matched a career-high with seven innings and allowed two runs against the Rays. The Pirates skipped Jones’ last turn in the rotation as they monitor his workload. 

St. Louis (44-41) jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the fifth when Masyn Winn delivered a two-out single up the middle to plate Brandon Crawford from second base.

The Pirates quickly responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Tellez led off the home-half of the fifth with a single and advanced to third on Nick Gonzales’ base hit to right. Gonzales moved up to second on the throw.

Ke’Bryan Hayes plated Tellez with a groundout to short and Bart brought home Gonzales with a sacrifice fly to center field. 

Those were the only runs the Pirates scored against Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, who pitched six-strong innings.

In the top of the eighth, Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer off of Colin Holderman to tie the game at 3-all.

Up Next

The Pirates and Cardinals will wrap up their series on the Fourth of July. Martín Pérez (1-4, 5.28 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh opposite Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.50 ERA). First pitch: 12:35 ET.