Keller, Hayes Not Enough; Bullpen Implodes in 5-4 Loss To Cards

Mitch Keller had a little trouble with his aim to start, issuing a walk and bopping a batter before dancing out of the frame. The Bucs continued to ride Ke'Bryan Hayes, who went deep off Kwang Hyun Kim on an 0-2 delivery to give the good guys a quick 1-0 lead. Another Kell walk in the second caused no problems while Kim retired the Buccos in order. The Cards went quietly in the third; Joey O posted another run to the scoreboard when he pulled a pitch up the line and into the seats. Mitch cruised through the fourth. Erik Gonzalez singled to open the Pittsburgh half, but Redbeard bounced into a DP and the inning ended without a peep. It was a 1-2-3 fifth for St. Louis as Keller has put away the last 11 Redbirds. K-Man reached second on a one-out throwing error. Joey O walked with two gone, but B-Rey couldn't cash them in. Mitch stayed on the hill in the sixth and spun another clean inning. A Key two-bagger and muff at third put Buccos on the corners. Redbeard singled home a run before J-Bell K'd, bringing in Jake Woodford. Stalls lifted a sac fly to make it 4-0.

Key lookin' like the real deal - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

Mitch went six no-hit innings and and Geoff Hartlieb got the ball in the seventh. He walked the first two Redbirds and plunked the third. Sam Howard was waved in and gave up three hits, a bopped batter and sac fly before he left for Chris Stratton with the lead reversed to 5-4 Cardinals. He walked the bases loaded before a big K and fly ended the onslaught. Ryan Helsey surrendered a walk around three routine outs. Blake Cederlind toed the slab in the eighth and fanned two of the three Redbirds he put away. After an out, Helsey was replaced by Genesis Cabrera, who whiffed his Pirates pair. Ric Rod blew through the ninth with two whiffs. With one gone, Cabrera drilled K-Man in the knee, and Newman had to helped off the field without putting any weight on his leg, so that will bear watching. JT Riddle ran for him briefly; four pitches later, Fraze rolled into a DP.

The Pirates seem to save it all up for one inning...

Notes:

• Ke'Bryan Hayes and Erik Gonzalez each had a pair of hits; the rest of the team added two more. The Cardinals only had three hits.
• Most extra-base hits after 17 games for a Pirate (via Joe Block/Stats by STATS: Barry Bonds - 10, Ke'Bryan Hayes - 9, Andrew McCutchen - 9, Austin Meadows - 9 and Brad Eldred - 9.
• Kim had only given up one homer before tonight.