For the second time this series, the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals played bonus baseball. And for the second time, the Cardinals won on a walk-off single. With runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the 12th, Matt Holliday delivered a game-winning single, scoring Matt Carpenter on the play for a 6-5 win
The loss cut the Pirates (71-49) lead over the Cardinals (69-51) back to two games in the NL Central.
Even with the eleven combined runs in the game, today’s matchup between A.J. Burnett and Lance Lynn started out as a pitcher’s duel. Both pitchers worked methodically through the opposing teams batting order through the first four innings with Burnett allowing two hits and striking out four and Lynn matching his mound mate allowing three hits and striking out six.
Then the fifth inning happened. The Pirates looked like they were going to run away with the game and the series after placing a four spot on the scoreboard to take a 4-0 lead. After a leadoff single by Garrett Jones, Andrew Lambo recorded his first hit and RBI on one swing. Lambo laced a rocket that one-hopped the right-centerfield wall to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
Lambo came around to score his first major league run on the next batter when Clint Barmes recorded his second hit of the game, a 393-foot home run into the left field stands.
With a 3-0 lead and the bases empty, Starling Marte took it upon himself to ignite another rally. Marte ripped a triple to right center and would come around to score on the sacrifice fly to centerfield by Neil Walker.
With a 4-0 lead, Burnett returned to the mound with a little bit of wiggle room. Maybe it was too much. For the second game on this road trip, Burnett couldn’t hold on to a lead. On Saturday, Burnett was chased in Colorado after the Rockies scored two runs in the sixth to tie the Pirates.
On Thursday, Burnett proved that even a four run lead wasn’t big enough.
The Cardinals were only three batters in their half of the fifth and already posted two runs on the scoreboard. Matt Adams lead off the inning with an opposite field single and advanced to third on a double by David Freese. Both Adams and Freese came around to score on a single by Daniel Descalso to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The trouble continued for Burnett as Matt Carpenter ripped a triple to right field – his third hit of the game – scoring Descalso on the play. Carpenter came around to tie the game on an RBI single by John Jay.
With the score tied, Burnett tried to regroup and get out of the inning, but a double by Holliday that was just out of reach from the diving Andrew McCutchen, scored Jay from first to give the Cardinals their first lead of the afternoon. That would be the last batter Burnett would face. Vin Mazzaro relieved Burnett and retired the final two Cardinal hitters in the inning.
After failing to tie the game in the sixth and seventh inning, Russell Martin got the Pirates even with his eleventh home run of the season in the eighth, an opposite field shot into the Cardinals bullpen.
Pirates continued to have opportunities but it was the Cardinals that capitalized on theirs in the 12th.
Kevin Siegrist picked up the win for the Cardinals and Bryan Morris suffered his sixth loss of the season.
The Pirates will look to get back on the winning track tomorrow night when they return to PNC Park for a brief three-game home stand against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Brandon McCarthy (2-6, 4.73) and Gerrit Cole (5-5, 3.95) will oppose each other on the mound. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
Game Notes: The Pirates just finished a road trip in Colorado and St. Louis where they went 1-5…The extra inning loss on Thursday pushes the Pirates record to 9-7 in extras and the Cardinals improve to 3-5…Starling Marte became the first Pirate since Jack Wilson in 2004 to record at least 10 doubles, triples and home runs in one season…Andy Van Slyke was the last Pirate outfielder to do it in 1992.
Starter’s line:
Burnett (ND) 4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
Lynn (ND) 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 SO
Offensive Stars
3. Martin (Pit) 2-5 R, RBI Game tying home run in 8th
2. Carpenter (Stl) 4-5 2R, RBI Game winning run
1. Holliday (Stl) 2-5 2RBI Game winning hit
