Rowdy Tellez Has Big Part in Pirates Win Over Cardinals After Late Lineup Change

PITTSBURGH — Rowdy Tellez wasn’t even in the original starting lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he came up big in a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the series rubber match at PNC Park on Wednesday.

Tellez was inserted into the lineup after Bryan Reynolds was a late scratch due to back spasms. 

The Cardinals (53-49) had left-hander Matthew Liberatore on the mound but Tellez didn’t have any trouble against the southpaw.

Tellez opened a four-run second inning with an RBI single to right field to put the Pirates ahead 1-0. In his second at-bat Tellez demolished a 447-foot home run into the Allegheny River.

ROWDY TO THE RIVER 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/6yxZKeLtc2

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 24, 2024

The homer was the final pitcher Liberatore (2-3) threw in his outing. He allowed five runs on four hits in three-plus innings, walked three and struck out three.

Two batters after Tellez got the Pirates (52-50) on the board in the second inning, Andrew McCutchen drew a walk with the bases loaded to extend the Pirates lead to 2-0. Connor Joe doubled the Pirates’ lead with a two-run double off the glove of the diving Dylan Carlson in left-center.

Martín Pérez started for the Pirates and shut out the Cardinals across six innings pitched. Pérez (2-5) allowed four hits, walked five and struck out two. 51 of his 91 pitches went for strikes.

It was a much-needed outing for the left-hander, who had an 8.24 ERA over his last four starts entering play.

With the win, the Pirates have now won four-straight series, including a three-game sweep of the White Sox just before the break

Up Next

The Pirates will travel to Arizona to start a three-game series with the Diamondbacks on Friday night. Luis Ortiz (5-2, 2.57 ERA) will look to continue his dominance since shifting to the rotation. Arizona has yet to name a starter. First pitch: 9:40 ET.

News and Notes:

• Bryan Reynolds is being examined and treated by the Pirates medical staff and is considered day-to-day. It’s the first game Reynolds has missed this season.