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Previously on VEB recaps: IHeartBoog recapped last night's tough extra inning loss. If you missed it, it's here.
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Sunday's pitching matchup: Tim Cooney (0-0, 3.95 ERA prior to Sunday night), squaring off against Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.99).
Their last starts: Cooney made his best start of the season in his fourth such appearance for St. Louis. The lefty threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on three hits as part of the doubleheader against the Cubs on Tuesday. Liriano held the Padres to 2 runs in his last turn, also on Tuesday.
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Starting lineups
#STLCards take on @Pirates tonight on @ESPNBaseball at 7:05 pm CT. Cardinals are 5-0 on Sunday nights this season. pic.twitter.com/BpfzFS7gsz
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 12, 2015
Here's some info from the Bucco game notes. #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/Kg2YmB70K9
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 12, 2015
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Scoring plays
Top 2 - Reynolds GIDP, Heyward scores from 3rd - STL 1, PIT 0
Bot 2 - Liriano single, Cervelli & Polanco score - PIT 2, STL 1
Top 3 - Peralta solo HR - PIT 2, STL 2
Bot 3 - Polanco single, scoring Rodriguez - PIT 3, STL 2
Top 8 - Molina groundout, scoring Wong from 3rd - PIT 3, STL 3
Top 10 - Grichuk 2-run triple (scoring Kozma & Molina), Reynolds thrown out at home - STL 5, PIT 3
Bot 10 - Marte single, scoring Mercer; Cervelli single, scoring Marte; Polanco single, scoring Kang - PIT 6, STL 5 (F)
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Game summary
Over the past two nights, St. Louis Cardinals fans may have been reduced to little speech in reaction to the ballgames they've had to witness. Check another game off the list.
For the second game in a row, the Pittsburgh Pirates stunned the visiting Cardinals, reducing the division lead between the teams to just 2 1/2 games.
If you have a panic button and you're a Cardinal fan, you may want to hold onto it for a few days.
Pittsburgh rallied for five hits off of Trevor Rosenthal over the final two-thirds of the 10th inning to rally for the win.
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Game links - box score / play by play
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All-Star schedule: The schedule for Monday and Tuesday can be found here. (The attached schedule includes times of press conferences and other events.)
The Home Run Derby will be at 8 pm Eastern / 7 pm Central on ESPN, while the All-Star Game will be at 7:30 East / 6:30 Cent on Tuesday on FOX.
Next Cardinals series: St. Louis will begin the second half at home with a three-game set against the Mets on Friday. 14 of the Redbirds' opening 16 games in the second half are at home, the only exception being two in Chicago to take on the White Sox (July 21 and 22).
The Cardinals and Mets last played each other in May, with the teams splitting the four-game set.
Understandably so, the pitching matchups for the upcoming weekend have not been announced. Lance Lynn's spot in the rotation would be next due up for the Cardinals, while the Mets' next starter, based on their current rotation, would be Noah Syndergaard.