Pirates @ Cardinals recap 5.8 - Cards drop Mom's Day rubber game

Pittsburgh Pirates @ St. Louis Cardinals

Gerrit Cole v. Michael Wacha

1:15 p.m. CT 
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, Missouri

Today's Lineups -

Things that happened -

Top halves -

Brandon Moss helped Michael Wacha to throw a 1-2-3 first by stealing a hit from John Jaso, who hit a screening liner that was bound for right field, but for Moss' long reaching grab.

Another quick inning in the second for Wacha, highlighted by a great ovation for old friend David Freese before he grounded out to third.  Wacha's changeup was working sunshine.

More of the same in the third- Wacha's fastball location was outstanding, and was able to work his offspeed stuff off of that with great success.  He threw 30 pitches through 3 innings.

Jaso broke through in the hit column for the Pirates.  He broke his bat and floated a soft liner into center.  McCutchen also singled, but Wacha held firm to retire the next three.

Jordy Mercer worked a 1-out walk, Wacha's first, in the fifth.  That brought up Chris Stewart.  He drove a hot grounder by Matt Carpenter, resulting in a RBI double to tie up the game for the Pirates.  Jaso wasn't satisfied with that, and after a lengthy at bat, he put a 2-run shot over the wall in right to give the Pirates a lead.  McCutchen crushed a couple balls in his AB, but Hazlebaker caught one of them for the final out of the inning.  Pirates lead 3-1.

Marte ground-rule doubled his way on - a ball that Matt Holliday misplayed.  He scored when David Freese drove him in with a single to left.  Wacha, after only throwing 30 pitches through three, threw 76 to get through the next three.  Pirates lead 4-1.

Wacha's final line- 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 106 pitches thrown

Matt Bowman took over in the seventh.  He was quickly in trouble, allowing a single to  XXXXXXXXXXX and a double to Jaso with nobody out.  McCutchen drove in one run, but then Gregory Polanco drove in 3 more with a homer that sliced into the left field foul pole.  That chased Bowman (with no outs recorded) in favor of Seth Maness.  Maness fared better than Bowman, and collected the three outs to end the inning.  Pirates lead 8-2.

Maness came back for the eighth.  It was relatively uneventful.

Jonathan Broxton pitched the ninth for the Birds.  He gave up two and that put the game out of reach for the Cards. Pirates lead 10-5.

Bottom halves -

Stephen Piscotty collected the first hit, a fly ball that just fell in in front of Marte in right.  He highway-robbed a stolen base from Cole, not even garnering a look from the big right-hander.  The next pitch, Matt Holliday waved at strike three, but the ball got away from Stewart, so he got to first base anyway, putting runners on the corners.  Tim was quick to point out the good timing of the stolen base to leave the opportunity to strikeout and still get to first base.  Yadi walked, but Hazelbaker struck out to end the inning with the bases loaded.   The Cards made Cole throw 33 pitches in the first, but were unable to push across a run.

Cole threw a much less eventful second, inducing groundouts from Diaz and Wong, and struckout Wacha.

Carpenter led off the third with a screamer up the middle.  Piscotty's single was erased when Holliday grounded into a double play.  Moss drove in the first run of the game, a RBI double into the right field corner.  Cards up 1-0.

Cole went 1-2-3 in the fourth, featuring an excellent slider.

Cole did a good job of holding his new lead in the fifth.  He walked Carpenter, but left him on.

In the sixth, Gerrit collected a couple quick outs in Moss (strikeout) and Molina (flyout).  Hazelbaker wasn't gonna give up an out, though.  He turned on a changeup and knocked it way out down the right field line to cut into the Pirates' lead.  Aledmys Diaz also doubled to left in the inning.  Pirates lead 4-2.

Gerrit's final line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 104 pitches thrown.

Kyle Lobstein started the seventh for the Pirates.  It didn't go real well for him.  Carpenter walked, Piscotty singled, and Holliday walked.  Brandon Moss drove in one run when he grounded out to second.  Yadi drove in two more with a single to right off of Arquimedes Caminero.  Pirates lead 8-5.

Tony Watson sat down the Cards in order in the eighth.

Ryan Vogelsong came in for the ninth.  The Cards made it interesting, loading the bases on a double by Carpenter, a single by Piscotty, and a walk by Moss.  But in the end, Yadi ended the threat and the game by grounding into a double play.  Pirates win 10-5.

Final Notes -

• Matt Bowman's ERA jumped 3 runs today with his 4 runs allowed.
• Wacha looked GREAT early on, and overall pitched better than his line indicates.
• Fangraphs
• Gamenotes: Pirates | Cardinals

Looking ahead -

Tuesday, the Cardinals head west to take on the Angels.  Mike Leake will be opposed by Hector Santiago.  The game begins at 9:05 CT.