Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 5, Pirates 1
By Rob Rains
This hasn’t been the season that Matthew Liberatore wanted back when he was the Cardinals’ opening day starter but at least it ended on a positive note.
Liberatore pitched into the sixth inning and allowed only one run on Wednesday night as he won his final start of the season, defeating the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
It ended a streak of 11 consecutive starts without a win for Liberatore, whose last victory had come on July 11 against the Braves. He had gone 0-8 with three no decisions in those 11 starts.
After being shut out on just one hit in the first game of the series on Tuesday night, the Cardinals scored three runs In the third and two in the fourth en route to the victory.
The Cardinals have four games left in the season.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: JJ Wetherholt had a three-hit night, drew a walk, scored a run and had an RBI to lead the Cardinals’ offense … Alec Burleson’s single in the third drove in his MLB-leading 112th run of the season … The other RBIs came from Leo Bernal, his 18th in his first month in the majors, and Masyn Winn, who doubled in a run in the fourth … Jordan Walker stole his 21st base after a fifth-inning single.
On the mound: The only run allowed by Liberatore came on a home run by Brandon Lowe leading off the second. Liberatore scattered six hits, did not walk a batter and struck out six before leaving after 5 2/3 innings … In his last two starts Liberatore allowed just two runs over a combined 11 2/3 innings … Luis Gastelum, Ryne Stanek and George Soriano combined to retire 10 of the final 11 Pirates batters, with Soriano pitching around a leadoff walk in the ninth.
Worth noting: Ivan Herrera was hit by a pitch for the 31st time this season, the most in the majors. It ties the franchise record set by Steve Evans in 1910.
Up next: Kyle Leahy will make his final start of the season in Thursday’s game, which begins at 11:35 a.m. St. Louis time. Paul Skenes is scheduled to start for the Pirates.
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