Cards Walk Off Another Win 3-2

Luke Weaver and Chad Kuhl exchanged clean first frames. Corey D singled with an out in the second and advanced on a wild pitch, but got no further. The Cards struck first when Marcell Ozuna launched a fat 2-0 two-seamer into the Busch batter's eye. Kolten Wong got nicked with a pitch with two gone and went to second on a wayward hurl before the inning closed. Jordy started the third with a rap and was bunted up, and there he stayed. The Redbirds stranded a two-out rap. Pittsburgh went quietly in the fourth; the Cards got another single. Weaver hung a 1-0 change to Colin Moran, who tied the game with a solo shot in the fifth. Jordy added a single but no more fun was to be had. Aaaargh, Chad walked the pitcher and with two away lost another Redbird. Of course it bit him when he gave up a two-strike single to Tommy Pham to make it 2-1; the runners moved up a station on the throw home but Kuhl got the third out after some work.

Chad hasn't had much help lately (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Austin Gomber answered the sixth inning call and walked AM on five tosses. Three more pitches sat down Starling, who fished like he was Captain Ahab, then J-Bell rolled into a 6-4-3 DP. A rookie pitcher walks the first guy he faces and then the Pirates decide to swing at everything, smh. Chad worked a nice, quiet frame. His line was two runs on six hits with two walks and five K after 92 twirls. The Bucs made nary a peep in the seventh. Tyler Glasnow came in and walked the first Card, the eight hitter Carson Kelly, but escaped unmarred. It was 1-2-3 in the eighth for Pittsburgh. They hit three balls on the nose but pretty much right at Ozuna in left field; bad ball luck rears its ugly head again. Kyle Crick came out for some work; he walked a guy but had an otherwise calm frame. Bud Norris came in for the save; he didn't get it as Austin Meadows walked out of his phone booth, flapped his cape and launched a game-tying bomb just inside the RF pole. Starling saw one strike in seven pitches but managed to fan again; ditto for J-Bell who flailed out three out of the zone. Corey D showed a good eye until he got a 3-2 pitch that was ball four; he swung and missed for a very poorly disciplined follow up to AM's solo shot. Ric Rod came in for Bucs and three pitches later, it was over when Kolten Wong took a slider out of the yard. Been that kinda series...

Colin hit his fifth HR (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The bullpen continues to be a disaster; we wonder how long it'll take before Tyler Glasnow and Steven Brault become the back enders. But the hurlers didn't lose the game; too many wasted at-bats against pitching that wasn't top-of-the-line, especially in the middle of the order, did - two runs on five hits aren't gonna win too many games. It's not as if plate patience disappears, but that it comes and goes as the attack still is producing as often as not; a little more consistency would help, especially against the nibblers.

Notes:

• Jordy had two of the five Bucco knocks.
• The Pirates have scored one run for Chad Kuhl in his last two outings.
• Well, who else? Austin Meadows was named the NL Rookie of the Month for May after hitting .409 w/four homers.
• The Cards have already won five games this year on walk-off homers. It was Kolten Wong's fourth career walk-off home run with three of them coming against Pirates.
• This was Bud Norris' first blown save; getting the win prob helped take the sting away.
• Geez, that didn't take long - Ollie Perez was released from his Yankee contract yesterday and signed with the Indians today.