Cardinals rally in ninth to defeat Pirates
PITTSBURGH -- The St. Louis Cardinals lost an early five-run lead but rallied with three two-out homers in the ninth Tuesday at PNC Park for a 9-7 win over the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates, who lost their eight straight.
Matt Carpenter hit a two-out, 0-2 solo home run to right-center in the ninth to forge a 6-6 tie -- establishing a major league record with St. Louis' 15th pinch-hit homer of the season. After Yadier Molina doubled, Randel Grichuk hit a two-run shot to left, and Jhonny Peralta followed with a homer to right to make it 9-6.
That was enough to withstand Jung Ho Kang's solo homer in the bottom of the ninth that made it 9-7.
All three Cardinals ninth-inning homers came off Pirates closer Tony Watson (2-4).
Mike Mayers (1-1), just called up from Triple-A, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the win. Seung-Hwan Oh gave up Kang's homer but picked up his 16th save.
Both starters lasted just four innings. St. Louis' Luke Weaver allowed two runs on six hits, with five strikeouts and no walks. The Pirates' Ryan Vogelsong allowed five runs on six hits.
Molina hit a grand slam and Matt Adams knocked a solo homer that bounced into the Allegheny River as St. Louis built a 5-0 lead, only to have the Pirates bounce back, thanks heavily to a four-run fifth -- all against reliever Matt Bowman -- that produced a 6-5 Pittsburgh lead.
St. Louis, in a National League wild-card spot, opened a 5 1/2-game lead over Pittsburgh.
Molina's fourth career grand slam and first since 2012 landed in the right field stands for a 4-0 lead in the first. Kolten Wong opened the game with a triple to left, Brandon Moss walked an out later and Adams reached on a fielder's choice when first baseman John Jaso hesitated with the ball to look Wong back to third, and everyone was safe.
Molina's slam extended St. Louis' franchise record streak to 25 games with a home run, tying the National League record set by San Diego earlier this season.
Adams' homer in the third was his 14th, a one-out, 436-foot blast over the right field stands to make it 5-0. It was his second homer in as many nights.
Jaso lined a single down the right-field line to drive in Jordy Mercer, who led off the third with an infield single, to pull Pittsburgh to within 5-1.
The Pirates closed it to 5-2 in the fourth when Kang, in his first start and second game back from the disabled list, cranked a solo homer to left.
Pittsburgh's fifth featured four runs, four hits, a walk and two St. Louis errors. Gregory Polanco snapped an 0-for-18 streak with an RBI single to right, scoring Josh Harrison to make it 5-3. Kang followed with an RBI single to center to pull Pittsburgh within 5-4.
Mercer's double to the left-field corner drove in two more to give the Pirates a 6-5 lead.
NOTES: Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli, who left Monday's game with left thumb discomfort, was not in the starting lineup. ... St. Louis recalled RHP Mike Mayers, RHP Sam Tuivailala and OF Jose Martinez from Triple-A Memphis. ... Pittsburgh added RHP Tyler Glasnow, RHP Drew Hutchison, RHP Trevor Williams and INF Pedro Florimon from Triple-A Indianapolis. To make room on their 40-man roster, the Pirates designated LHP Kelvin Marte and RHP Curtis Partch for assignment. ... RHP Adam Wainwright (Cardinals) and RHP Jared Hughes (Pirates) are the clubs' nominees for the Robert Clemente Award for sportsmanship and community involvement. The winner will be announced during the World Series. ... The Cardinals play exhibition games March 30 at Triple-A Memphis and March 31 at Double-A Springfield.