Cards Can't Give Bucs the Game; Pirates Fall 4-3

Well, that didn't take long. Ivan Nova was greeted by a double, bunt, & single to make it 1-0 Cards in the first. The Bucs stranded Starling, with a single and steal, at second against Michael Wacha. In the second, an infield single not played very well by Fraze was followed by a second-chance hit by Kolten Wong, who was given a free swing on a blown third strike call. Then Ivan threw away a bunt, and another Redbird crossed the dish. It was quiet until the fourth when the Buccos took some and left some. Starling walked, J-Bell singled and Freeser doubled him home. A Gregory grounder was thrown home but Josh beat the rap with an awkward but tag-evading dive to the dish. A walk loaded the bases but an Eli 6-4-3 DP ended the party with the score 3-2 Pittsburgh. The fifth was calm.

Ivan now has a couple of solid outings (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Edgar Santana came in for the sixth and left a couple of Cards on the sacks after a walk and infield rap. John Brebbia tucked the Bucs away in what's now a bullpen battle. The Bucs tagged Ryan Sherriff for another tally on an Eli double, Jordy single and booted inning-ending DP ball, but again left ducks on the pond at second & third with an out. A one run lead with six outs to go...can the pen deliver? Well, no. Dovydas Neverauskas did his part in the eighth, but the rusty Felipe Rivero was banged around in the ninth and not given a lot of help in the field. A double opened the frame and scored when a routine ball found a hole through a drawn-in infield; another single set up the lead run that crossed the dish after Jordy bumbled trying to field a grounder. To add insult to injury, Juan Nicasio tossed the eighth and ninth innings cleanly to earn the win. It was some irony on the hill today with Felipe blowing a save and his former sidekick Juan getting the W.

St Louis outhit the Pirates 11-5 & drew six walks, going 2-for-15 w/RISP. They threw in a boot to add a run to the Pittsburgh count. But teams can't even give games away to the Pirates; tonight was a microcosm of a season killed by a thousand paper cuts.

Notes:

• Starling Marte had a knock and a walk. He was the only Buc to reach base twice; the team had just five hits. 
• Juan Nicasio has two wins and two saves for the Cards in six appearances; tonight's victory and the pair of saves were against the Pirates. He's faced 13 of his ex-mateys and given up one hit.
• 23,942 warm buns were in the seats tonight; even fireworks night and the Cards can't lure them in.
• OMG the outfield experiment!!! Big news in March, but September reality is that the Three Amigos (Cutch, Starling and Gregory) played together for just the 10th time tonight; forget the moving them around part - Cutch has played RF seven times, Starling has been in CF 11 times and Gregory in left 26 times all year.