Sources: Eight NBA Stars In Boomers' Paris Squad
PITTSBURGH -- — Pedro Pages doubled home pinch runner Michael Siani and then scored on Alec Burleson's RBI single as the the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in 10 innings on Thursday.
St. Louis took two of three from its NL Central Division rivals by winning a series finale for the 12th time in its last 13 chances — one of the reasons the Cardinals are 30-17 since May 12, the third-best record in the majors over that span.
“It’s important,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “You feel good heading to the next city, mood wise, just all of it. It carries you through.”
Burleson and Dylan Carlson had two hits apiece for St. Louis. John King (3-1) retired Andrew McCutchen with the tying run on second in the 10th to pick up the victory for the Cardinals, who improved to 16-12 in one-run games this season after going 17-26 in tight contests a year ago.
St. Louis starter Andre Pallante worked a career-best seven innings to give the Cardinals' overextended bullpen a little bit of a breather. Pallante struck out five against one walk, his only wobble coming when Bryan Reynolds led off the fourth with his 14th homer of the season for Pittsburgh.
“I mean, definitely the confidence has been snowballing in the last couple of outings and just having confidence with my pitches and the way that they're going,” Pallante said.
Reynolds' homer was the highlight for the Pirates, who managed just seven hits total. Nick Gonzales provided an unusual sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th, hitting a drive to the notch in left-center field that St. Louis left fielder Brendan Donovan tracked down. Donovan, however, hesitated while getting the ball in, allowing pinch runner Michael A. Taylor to score from second.
Jared Triolo and Joey Bart followed later in the inning with consecutive two-out singles but McCutchen grounded into a fielder's choice to end it.
Dennis Santana (2-1) took the loss when Pages hit a liner to left-center that a diving Taylor couldn't grab, scoring Siani. Burleson followed with a bloop that let Pages chug home from second.
The Cardinals went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base through the first nine innings, including two in the ninth when pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter struck out looking with the go-ahead run just 90 feet away.
They survived thanks in part to gritty work by King and Andrew Kittredge, who struck out Reynolds at the end of an 11-pitch at bat in the eighth with the go-ahead run on second.
Martin Perez worked in and out of trouble over 7 1/3 innings for the Pirates in his second start back from a month-long stay on the injured list with a left groin problem. Perez allowed one run on six hits, with a walk and two strikeout and showed a rare burst of emotion when he pumped his left first after fanning Paul Goldschmidt to end the sixth.
“I was able to move the ball where I wanted and make some pitches,” Perez said. “It was a great game. We played good. That’s what happens, they were just lucky at the end, but that’s part of the game.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: Placed rookie pitcher Jared Jones on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with a right lat strain. Jones, who will out until after the All-Star break, complained of discomfort in his right side while working five innings against the Cardinals on Wednesday. ... C Henry Davis (concussion) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday night.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Head to Washington for a four-game set with the Nationals starting Friday. Sonny Gray (9-5, 2.98 ERA) faces Washington's Patrick Corbin (1-8, 5.49).
Pirates: Welcome the New York Mets for a four-game wraparound series starting Friday. Star rookie Paul Skenes (4-0, 2.06) starts the opener against New York's Luis Severino (5-2, 3.42).
------
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
C3a4dd72524325d437b84a94ebc56c99 034db9473f578d9b077f502bb915234c B9d6f64149d47416af80945749fc8b55 V282 011818 099 Cobalt Blue Glass Pitcher 39 1 Cobalt Blue Glassware Featured Il 1140xN.3147031398 M71i Il Fullxfull.1191798446 Exhh 8c88e4f6a9275bb2eaa7c75b969e1803 Il Fullxfull.4103973702 8heg 25af8ce33498dfeac4c454b2c9cadc3a Il Fullxfull.3213725527 J7ym 7345a2d5783b5a327a9ce45611528c29 Il Fullxfull.2594308807 Qwnc B9c8029588b2a742ca6d9df050076ed1 1940s Cobalt Blue Glass Artdeco Vase A 1024x1024 ?v=1497745102Cobalt Blue Glassware Set 00cbe5cc F481 4387 A8b5 8107c75415fb 1.5521217c0b34a32bf0a3a1eb67f5b075 Il Fullxfull.1191754774 Ifbv 89e48b103de5eefca11cf02d2cf10a4a Il 1588xN.3030391896 H7yo 3ff4f13d0cf73e04a91b56bf155e103e Cobalt Glass Cobalt Blue Il 1140xN.3030392300 1fh9 E2f5d07386b7495831d28338615bd3e1 Il Fullxfull.1923848203 5ujc E865a4a1087af9e72b7aff5ec90b9996 Il Fullxfull.1238985769 3dzy 95f8c03c2947b7c256c0b47fc572413a 68c804217f8e4711ea420ecb1ce47453 C10a6bce 9d37 4a7f 8dad Db2a0e3a5c0c 1.1fb784e0eac37aec44e6dbfefabb75c0 13341da8b33243bb3202648b0c9b3b5d Il Fullxfull.450685411 Rx0e 7467b69b9beab34ca946777c44f8584d Il Fullxfull.1634927345 Bbrm