Field Level Media
Aug 21, 2021
Yoshi Tsutsugo drove in two runs with a home run and a single Saturday night as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates stunned the National League Central-contending St. Louis Cardinals for the second straight day, 5-4.
Kevin Newman also homered for the last-place Pirates, who had entered the series having lost 13 of 14 and were 20 1/2 games behind third-place St. Louis.
After the Cardinals had taken a 3-2 lead on an RBI single by Yadier Molina and a run-scoring double by Edmundo Sosa in the sixth, the Pirates rallied for three runs in the seventh after Genesis Cabrera (2-4) retired two of the first three batters he faced.
But Ben Gamel then singled to right and, after an error by right fielder Lars Nootbaar allowed both baserunners to advance into scoring position, Ke'Bryan Hayes delivered a two-run, go-ahead single.
Cabrera then walked Bryan Reynolds intentionally, but Tsutsugo foiled that strategy with an RBI single.
The Cardinals limited the damage when left fielder Harrison Bader threw out Hayes trying to score on Tsutsugo's hit.
The Cardinals pulled within 5-4 on a sacrifice fly by Tyler O'Neill in the bottom of the inning. But with the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base with still just one out, Chad Kuhl struck out Molina and Nootbaar to preserve the one-run lead.
Chris Stratton then threw a 1-2-3 eighth before David Bednar pitched around a Tommy Edman single in the ninth for his first career save.
Chasen Shreve (2-1), who got the final out of the St. Louis sixth, was awarded the win.
The home runs by Newman in the third inning and Tsutsugo in the fourth were their fourth and second of the year, respectively.
Both starting pitchers performed well without getting a decision.
The Cardinals' J.A. Happ left with a 3-2 lead, charged with two runs on six hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Making just his second start of the season, the Pirates' Dillon Peters limited the Cardinals to one run and three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Gamel went 3-for-4, while Newman, Tsutsugo and Jacob Stallings had two hits apiece for the Pirates, who out-hit the Cardinals 12-10.
Sosa, O'Neill, Edman and Paul Goldschmidt collected a pair of hits apiece for the Cardinals, who had been 9-3 against the Pirates this season before Friday's series-opening loss.
--Field Level Media