This will be short and sweet - the Bucs banged out 12 hits, leading to 18 stranded runners and even for them, an abysmal 1-for-13 with RISP. Starling Marte and Fran Cervelli left six runners on apiece and Josh Harrison five (although he did get the Bucs lone RBI). Marte managed to leave all those ducks on the pond despite three hits. Pittsburgh had seven innings that they left two or more runners aboard.
Francisco Liriano was awesome, going eight innings and giving up a run on three hits. That run scored when Pedro fielded a ball in the sixth with runners on the corners, took the out at first and then airmailed the ball home (sound familiar?) on what would have been a close play at the plate.
In the 11th, Jared Hughes kept getting the ball hit into the dirt, but three - two Baltimore chops and a grounder through the left side - got into the grass. He picked off one runner, but Matt Carpenter finally poked one in the air and the sac fly won it for the Redbirds.
Vance Worley takes on Michael Wacha tomorrow afternoon, not exactly the ideal match for salvaging a game.
- The win was the Cardinals' third straight walk-off over the Pirates, and fifth of their last eight home wins over Pittsburgh.
- Charlie Morton tossed 98 pitches in six innings, and gave up a run on four hits in his extended spring outing, so that points toward him getting a rehab assignment sooner rather than later.
- Josh Bell hit a three-run, two-out ninth inning homer to carry Altoona to a 5-3 win. Bell had all five Curve RBI. The homer, btw, was his first in 11 months.
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