Pittsburgh Pirates trounce the St. Louis Cardinals with 5-0 win – MLB News
Pittsburgh Pirates' third-baseman Pedro Alvarez drove in three runs on Wednesday, August 29, coupled with a homer to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 at PNC Park. The Pirates remained dominant in all the aspects of the game to outshine the Cardinals, winning the three-game series 2-1.
With the win, the Pirates also came closer to the Cardinals for the National League Wild Card, only a game behind the Redbirds. The Pirates which had lost the first game 4-3, performed extraordinarily well in the last two games to improve their position in the Division.
Against Joe Kelly, it was Garret Jones who doubled to deep right to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the very first inning.
"We had to get back on the right track," right fielder Garrett Jones said. "We were in a little rut there where for whatever reason we couldn't get back on the winning track and things weren't going our way. We stayed positive, stayed confident and knowing we could turn things around."
Alvarez, who remains one of the endearing assets of the Pirates, strengthened the team’s grip on the game with a majestic three-run homer in the third, giving a safe 4-0 lead. Josh Harrison did the rest with his single to centre, allowing Alvarez to score and make it 5-0 for the Pirates.
Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates' starter, remained unbeatable on the other hand, allowing only three hits in his six innings that he pitched.
All this was fascinating for the Pirates.
"You go against that offense and you put 18 zeros on the board in 18 innings, I couldn't be any prouder of them," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Offensively we found a way and had some two out big strikes. To finish the last 48 hours, we're going to battle."
It was Joel Hanrahan of the Pirates who came up with a solid ninth inning, allowing only a hit to finish the game with a 5-0 win for the Pirates, helping the team win the series 2-1. The Pirates will be looking to pave the way for their first playoff berth in almost two decades.
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