Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 5, Pirates 0
By Rob Rains
Victor Scott II did not use his speed to pick up any stolen bases on Wednesday but it still helped the Cardinals defeat the Pirates at Busch Stadium.
Twice Scott II was able to score from first base on hits, first on a single by Lars Nootbaar in the third and then on a double by Masyn Winn in the fifth.
That was all of the runs Sonny Gray needed as he blanked the Pirates over seven innings, giving up only two hits while striking out eight.
The win allowed the Cardinals to complete a sweep of the three-game series, extend their winning streak to a season-high five games and get back to the .500 mark at 19-19, the first time they have been at .500 since they were 9-9 on April 16.
Here is how Wednesday’s game broke down:
At the plate: Scott II reached on a walk to lead off the third before scoring on Nootbaar’s single – he was attempting to steal second on the play. He then singled leading off the fifth and scored on Winn’s second double in the game … That was Winn’s second RBI of the game after knocking in Nootbaar with a bloop double in the third … The game stayed 3-0 until the eighth when Brendan Donovan singled, Luken Baker delivered a pinch-hit double and both scored on a single by Jordan Walker. Walker matched his RBI total for his previous 40 at-bats since April 20, a stretch that had seen him go 4-of-40, including going hitless in his first three at-bats on Wednesday.
On the mound: The only hits off Gray were a two-out single by Ke’Bryan Hayes in the second and a two-out single by Andrew McCutchen in the sixth. The Pirates had only one runner reach second base against Gray, after McCutchen reached on catcher’s interference and Joey Bart walked in the fifth. Gray retired the next two batters to end the inning … Gray raised his record to 4-1 … Kyle Leahy pitched around two hits in the eighth and Chris Roycroft finished off the shutout with a1-2-3 ninth.
Key stat: The Cardinals improved their record at Busch to 15-6, tying the Dodgers for the most home wins so far this season in the majors. The are 4-13 on the road.
Worth noting: Nolan Arenado was in the original starting lineup but was a late scratch because of back spasms. Nolan Gorman started at third and walked and singled in four plate appearances, also striking out twice … Nootbaar had been in a 2-of-27 slump before his three-hit day, two singles and a double … Ivan Herrera is continuing his rehab assignment with Memphis at Charlotte but could join the Cardinals possibly as early as the start of the upcoming roadtrip on Friday night.
Up next: The Cardinals will have their first day off since April 24 on Thursday before beginning a three-city, nine-game, 10-day trip on Friday night in Washington. They will play three games against the Nartionals, followed by three in Philadelphia and three in Kansas City. Erick Fedde is the scheduled starter on Friday night.
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