The St. Louis Cardinals secured a hard-fought victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a thrilling 3-2 extra-inning contest on Thursday afternoon. Pedro Pages played the hero for the Cardinals, ripping a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the 10th inning to propel his team to victory.
The game was evenly matched throughout, with both teams trading blows and showcasing stellar pitching performances. Pages’ clutch hit came against Pittsburgh reliever Dennis Santana, driving in automatic runner Michael Siani to give the Cardinals the lead. Alec Burleson followed up with a crucial single to left field, extending St. Louis’ lead and providing some much-needed insurance.
The Pirates mounted a late comeback attempt in the bottom of the 10th inning, as Michael A. Taylor scored on Nick Gonzales’ deep fly ball to left-center. However, the Cardinals’ bullpen held firm, with John King closing out the game and securing the win for St. Louis.
Burleson and Dylan Carlson led the offensive charge for the Cardinals, each tallying two hits in the game. On the other side, Bryan Reynolds provided a highlight for the Pirates with a home run, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Cardinals’ late-game heroics.
Both starting pitchers delivered impressive outings but had to settle for no-decisions. Pirates left-hander Martin Perez pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out two. Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante matched Perez’s performance, surrendering only one run on four hits in seven innings while striking out five.
The win marks the Cardinals’ third victory in their last four games, maintaining their momentum as they push towards the postseason. The Pirates, on the other hand, have now dropped four of their last six games and will look to regroup as they continue their season.
Overall, it was a thrilling and closely contested matchup between these two NL Central rivals, with the Cardinals ultimately emerging victorious thanks to Pages’ clutch hit in extra innings. As the season progresses, both teams will be looking to build on this performance and continue their pursuit of success in the competitive NL Central division.
