Wednesday’s Game Report: Pirates 5, Cardinals 0
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals will go into this weekend’s series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field knowing that before they can hope to win a game they will have to do something they couldn’t do in three games in Pittsburgh.
Score a run.
The Cardinals were swept out of town by the Pirates on Wednesday, being shut out in all three games. The Cardinals hadn’t been shut out over three games in the same series since the final three games in 2015 in Atlanta, when they already had clinched a playoff berth.
It had been 49 years since it happened against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, the final three games of the 1976 season.
Counting the back-to-back shutout losses to the Cubs last week at home, the Cardinals have failed to score in five of their last eight games.
Their streak without a run against NL Central opponents is now 49 consecutive innings going into the opener on Friday in Chicago, following a much-needed day off on Thursday.
In sweeping the Cardinals after sweeping the Mets, the Pirates outscored those two teams 43-4 In their last six games.
Here is how Wednesday’s game broke down:
At the plate: After going 1-of-13 with a runner in scoring position in Tuesday night’s loss, the Cardinals had plenty of chances early to break through and score a run but went 1-of-9 with a runner on second or third in the first three innings. The only hit was an infield single by Lars Nootbaar that advanced a runner from second to third … Brendan Donovan led off the first inning with a double, Jose Fermin led off the second with a double and Alec Burleson doubled with one out in the third but none of the three were able to score … The Cardinals only hit after the fourth was a two-out pinch-hit single by Yohel Pozo in the ninth.
On the mound: Sonny Gray held the Pirates to one run through the first six innings, the RBI coming from former Cardinal Tommy Pham. A leadoff walk and two singles, the second from Pham, brought in the second run for the Pirates in the seventh and knocked Gray out of the game … Both runners that he left on base later scored after Riley O’Brien relieved, charging Gray with four runs. The final run of the four-run inning was charged to O’Brien.
Key stat: The way the pitching rotation lined up, Gray did not start any of the four games against the Cubs last week in St. Louis and he also will miss all three games this weekend in Chicago. In their 41 games since May 20, the Cardinals have five wins from a starting pitcher other than Gray.
Worth noting: Jordan Walker is joining Double A Springfield to resume his rehab assignment. He played two games with Memphis last weekend, then came to Pittsburgh to meet with the Cardinals medical personnel as he recovers from appendicitis … Both Willson Contreras (sore hand) and Nolan Arenado (sore finger) did not play in Wednesday’s game … The Cardinals lost five of the six games they played in Pittsburgh this season … In their 15 games over the past 14 days the Cardinals were 9-6.
Up next: The Cardinals will spend the off day on Thursday in Chicago. Miles Mikolas will get the start in the opener on the Fourth of July on Friday. The game will begin at 1:20 p.m. and will be televised by Apple TV. Matthew Liberatore will start on Saturday and Erick Fedde on Sunday.
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