Pirates Blow Four-Run Lead In 8-7 Loss To Cardinals; Reach 100 Losses For Second Straight Year

PITTSBURGH — Entering the seventh inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates held a four-run lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. After the Cardinals put up four-runs in the seventh inning to tie the game at seven, the game eventually reached extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, Juan Yepez delivered an RBI single to put St. Louis ahead 8-7, as they went on to defeat the Pirates by that score.

Kevin Newman, the automatic runner, was thrown out at home attempting to score on a ball hit by Oneil Cruz which deflected off the glove of first baseman Alec Burleson.

“I thought we were going to get it overturned,” Newman said on the close play. “I just thought he didn’t tag me until he got higher up on body.”

Cruz stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Andrew Knizner, but was left stranded as Bryan Reynolds grounded out to first.

With the loss the Pirates (61-100) reached 100 losses for the second consecutive season.

The Cardinals’ (93-68) four-run seventh inning began with a Brendan Donavan RBI single. Corey Dickerson pinch hit for Paul Goldschmidt and delivered a two-run double into the right field corner.

It looked like the Pirates would escape the inning with a one-run lead, but Cruz committed an error on a grounder from Burleson, allowing Dickerson to score.

The Pirates’ bats broke out in the fourth inning. The Bucs sent 12 men to the plate and scored six runs. At one time, six straight Bucs’ hitters reached safely. In all, the Bucs picked up eight hits in the frame.

The first run of the inning came when Ji-hwan Bae raced home on a wild pitch. Bae was also responsible for the last run of the inning, when he again showcased his speed when he legged out an RBI infield single to the pitcher.

Rodolfo Castro broke an 0 for 12 skid with an run-scoring single up the middle. That was followed by an RBI double off the bat of Miguel Andújar.

Jack Suwinski and Ben Gamel each recorded RBI singles to plate two more in the frame.

The six runs and eight hits in the inning are the most on both counts in a game this season for Pittsburgh and the most since Oct. 2 last year against the Reds.

The Pirates struck in the first inning when Andújar plated Oneil Cruz on a groundout to third.

After three straight hits in the top of the third inning, Goldschmidt plated a run on a groundout fielded by catcher Tyler Heineman to tie the score at one.

Albert Pujols followed the Goldschmidt RBI with a two-run single up the middle, giving St. Louis a 3-1 lead.

The Pujols knock ended the night for JT Brubaker, who was on a pitch limit after coming of the injured list prior to the game.

Brubaker went 2.2 innings, was tagged with three runs on four hits (all third-inning singles). He walked one and struck out a pair.

“He came back, he wasn’t sharp in the third inning. I thought in the first two innings he did a good job,” manager Derek Shelton said.

Reynolds doubled as part of a two-hit performance. His seventh-inning single was the 500th his of his career.

In addition to Reynolds, Castro, Suwinsnki and Bae all collected two hits. Cruz had a three-hit performance.

Former Pirates pitcher Chris Stratton (10-4) earned the win while Chase De Jong (6-3) took the loss for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates conclude their 2022 season on Wednesday afternoon at 4:05 against the Cardinals. Johan Oviedo (4-3, 3.12 ERA) will be on the mound for the Pirates. The Cardinals have yet to announce a starter.