Both teams entered battling for the final Wild Card spot in the National League--and in a game that both teams were scoreless throughout the first eighteen outs (three innings), the Pirates got on the scoreboard first as they managed to score two runs in the bottom of the fourth-inning.
Pittsburgh, who has been one of the season's biggest suprises so far this season, scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Andrew McCutchen had an RBI single that drove in Jose Tabata--followed up with an RBI sacrifice-fly that drove in Travis Snider off the bat of Jerry Harrison.
That two-run lead for Pittsburgh didn't last for very long though.
The defending world-champions tied the game up in the top of the fifth-inning with two runs of their own after Skip Schumaker hit an RBI double to left field that drove in Yadier Molina, followed by starting pitcher Kyle Lohse drove in Schumaker on a single to shallow center.
The top of the sixth-inning, the Cards' offense was back at it again. Matt Holliday homered on a deep bomb to right field--while Molina hit a sac-fly to right field that drove in Allen Craig--giving the Cardinals a 4-to-2 lead--which eventually proved to be the game-winning runs.
Despite pitching just five-innings of work tonight, Lohse managed to give up just two runs on five hits while striking out three but walking none. He improved his overall record to 14-2 overall on the season--and his earned-run average down to 2.64 for the year.
The bullpen did an excellent job tonight as well, as the unit combined to go four innings, giving up just one run on four hits. The unit tonight featured the arms of Lance Lynn, Fernando Salas, Mitchell Boggs, Marc Rzepcznski--and the man who closed it out for the thirty-first time after recording the final four outs--Jason Motte.
In his first bullpen appearance this season since swapping spots with Joe Kelly after yesterday's game--he gave up the only run the bullpen allowed--but he also looked pretty impressive. In relief, Lynn pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up one run and just two total hits.
Lohse's counter-partner from tonight's game, AJ Burnett, recieved the lost to fall to 15-5 overall with an earned-run average at 3.67. He lasted 5 2/3 innings tonight as he allowed four runs--with one unearned--on seven hits--and following the Pirates bullpen coming in: Hughes, Grilli, and Watson all three combined to allow no runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief.
The Cards' recorded there league-leading 30th triple of the season when Jon Jay did it in the third-inning. Holliday's home run was his 28th of the season--and put him in the lead in RBIs in the National League with 90 altogether.
With tonight's much-needed win, the defending champions currently now lead the Pirates by three games, the Dodgers by 2.5 games in the Wild Card standings--and trail Cincinnati by five and a half (pending tonights results--Reds currently lead DBacks 3-to-2 in the sixth).
Game two of this three game series will begin tomorrow night with the first pitch once again scheduled at the same time as tonight--6:05pm Saint Louis time (Central Time). Tomorrow's pitching matchup will consist of the Cardinals' Jake Westbrook and the Pirates' James McDonald.
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