Many Pittsburgh Pirates fans had not yet filed in their seats by the time Charlie Morton was removed from the game. A two-plus inning start from Morton ended the Pirates chances of winning the National League Central as they lost 11-1 Wednesday night to the St. Louis Cardinals.
“This is a game I want to come in and win,” Morton said. “Folks showed up and everyone was excited and I gave it up. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Morton [9-9] made his second shortest start of the season behind only June 21 against the Washington Nationals when he allowed nine runs on eight hits in 0.2 innings of work. In tonight’s start, Morton allowed five runs on four hits and threw 39 pitches, his lowest total since June 10, 2009 in a one inning relief appearance against the Atlanta Braves.
Following the game, Morton appeared confused as he looked at his pitch locations and said that he was not missing any more than he has before and that all of the mistakes were in the bottom of the zone.
A two-run first start the Cardinals scoring as Matt Carpenter led off with a triple that was bobbled in the outfield. Jon Jay next reached base as he was hit by a pitch. Jhonny Peralta then grounded into a double play which resulted in a run scoring.
Matt Adams got the start at first base for the Cardinals and his double scored Jason Heyward who had singled the at-bat prior.
Heyward came into this contest batting .218 against the Pirates in 2015 but delivered three hits and he was a triple shy of the cycle. No hit was bigger than his third-inning grand slam.
Morton was already removed from the game as he allowed Carpenter to hit his League Leading 44th double of the season. Jay was then hit by another pitch and Peralta walked to load the bases.
Bobby LaFromboise entered the game in a lefty-on-lefty matchup, and Heyward hit a grand slam, his 13th home run of the season. This was the second grand slam of his career with the other coming in 2011.
Heyward also showed range in right field making leaping grabs at the Clemente Wall and diving plays to prevent base hits.
“You can never quit, the game’s never over until it’s over,” Heyward said. “That’s the way we think as a group. I’ve got to be who I am on both sides of the ball every night.”
Arquimedes Caminero pitched the seventh inning and walked Jay with one out. A wild pitch advanced Jay to second and he scored on a Peralta single. Vance Worley allowed two more runs in the eighth as Peralta’s single scored Kolten Wong and Carpenter.
Rob Scahill got the last out in the eighth inning and then gave up a one-out two-run home run to Tony Cruz, his second of the season.
Tyler Lyons [3-1] shut down the Pirates for seven innings and surrendered four hits while striking out five batters. Lyons threw 81 pitches, with 57 of those being strikes.
The Pirates scored their lone run of the game with Kevin Siegrist on the mound. Jordy Mercer grounded out to score Michael Morse who led off the eighth inning with a walk. Chris Stewart’s eighth double advanced Morse to third. Stewart’s eight doubles on the season tie a career-high.
This is the first series the Cardinals have won at PNC Park since April 2012.
“This was a fight and we had a feeling with the way Chicago was playing and Pittsburgh played that it was going to be down to the wire and that’s really ended up happening,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “That was a tough team we just beat and this division has been a grind.”
The division itself was a daily battle for both teams as even when both the Pirates and Cardinals won they rarely made up ground as the two teams and Chicago Cubs battled daily.
“Without question this is the toughest division in baseball,” Adam Wainwright said. “Three teams with 90 wins, these are the three best teams in baseball right now just fighting it out every single day all season long. Those guys in Pittsburgh and Chicago never stopped.”
Cardinals Senior Vice President and General Manager John Mozeliak was also in attendance and was pleased with his team for overcoming sever hardships.
“This is a compliment not only to this group, but this organization because a lot of things happened throughout the year,” said Mozeliak. “There were a lot of injuries, but this group found a way to keep winning. 100 wins in this division is not easy. Pittsburgh and Chicago are strong clubs so to be sitting here tonight is a wonderful feeling.”
Manager Clint Hurdle told media following the game that “Plan A” was now off the board so the new objective is to show up Friday and earn a win. Hurdle wants his team to remain focused and keep the Wild Card standings where they are at, which would mean they would host a game against the Cubs.
“You’ve got to man up and say they played better,” Andrew McCutchen. “They had 100 [wins], we had 96 [wins], that’s why they won.”
The Pirates have a day off before Friday’s three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds which will conclude regular season play. Francisco Liriano [12-7 3.27 ERA] faces Keyvius Sampson [2-6 6.46 ERA] in game one.
Photo credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
