Thursday’s Game Report: Cardinals 10, Pirates 5
By Rob Rains
When the Cardinals came to bat in the ninth inning on Monday night, they were stuck in a streak of 36 consecutive scoreless innings at PNC Park.
A four-run outburst not only let them win that game, it opened the floodgates and the Cardinals did not stop scoring runs until the four-game series in Pittsburgh was over on Thursday.
Over the span of 28 innings, the Cardinals scored 30 runs, including 10 on Thursday, when they beat Paul Skenes again and completed the series sweep.
JJ Wetherholt led off the game with a home run off Skenes, Jordan Walker added a two-run shot later in the first inning and Alec Burleson had three hits and three more RBIs to lead a 14-hit attack.
It was a happy homecoming trip for Wetherholt, who grew up 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh in Mars, Pa., as he went 6-of-16 and scored six runs. Five of his hits went for extra bases, with two homers and three doubles.
The home run gave Wetherholt at least one extra-base hit in each of his last six games. It was his seventh homer in his 31st career game, the most by a Cardinal in that span to begin his career since Albert Pujols hit 10 in 2001.
Here is how Thursday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The top four hitters in the lineup led Thursday’s assault, just as they did in the first three games of the series. The combination of Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera, Burleson and Walker produced eight hits, scored six runs and drove in seven … Burleson had eight hits and eight RBIs in the four games … After taking a 5-1 lead, the Cardinals saw the Pirates pull within 5-4 going to the eighth before a five-run inning put the game away … The inning included a two-run double from Nathan Church, who barely missed a home run … Eight of the nine Cardinals had at least one hit and eight of the nine scored at least one run.
On the mound: Making his Cardinals’ debut, Hunter Dobbins allowed only an infield single through the first three innings but then lost his control, walking in a run in the fourth and failing to get through the fifth inning. Between the two innings, he walked five in a seven-batter span, three of whom came around to score … Justin Bruihl allowed the two runners he inherited to score on a double in the fifth … JoJo Romero gave up a home run in the seventh, the seventh run he has allowed in his last four innings … Matt Svanson gave up the final run in the ninth.
Key stat: The Cardinals finished April with an 18-13 record, including their five games in March. It is the first time they have been five games above .500 or better at the end of April since they were 19-10 at the end of April in 2019 en route to a 91-win season.
Worth noting: Skenes fell to 0-5 against the Cardinals in seven career starts. In 37 2/3 innings against the Cardinals in his career coming into Thursday’s game he had allowed only one home run, to Nolan Arenado in 2024 … The two hits in three at-bats for Burleson improved his career success against Skenes to eight hits in 20 at-bats … Wetherholt’s leadoff homer was the first by a Cardinal in Pittsburgh since Tommy Edman hit one in 2021 and was the sixth all-time by a Cardinal since PNC Park opened in 2001 … To make room for Dobbins on the roster, reliever Ryan Fernandez was optioned to Memphis.
Up next: The Cardinals return home to open a six-game homestand at Busch Stadium on Friday night with the first of three games against the Dodgers. Matthew Liberatore will get the start. After the LA series, the Brewers will come to town for three games.
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