By MATT PIKE
St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Nathan Church ended the game by robbing Nick Gonzales of what would have been a walk-off, two-run home run. making a leaping catch at the left-field wall, giving the Cardinals a 5-4 series clinching win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
St. Louis again built an early lead in the game when JJ Wetherholt hit a go-ahead RBI double in the third inning, scoring Ramón Urías. Alec Burleson extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-run home run, bringing home Iván Herrera in the fifth inning. Pittsburgh cut the deficit to two runs when Spencer Horwitz cut the deficit homered in the bottom half of the inning.
In the seventh inning, Iván Herrera and Jordan Walker boosted the lead more for St. Louis to 5-1 with RBI singles, Herrera's driving in Victor Scott II and Herrera coming around to score on the single from Walker, against Pirates reliever Chris Devenski. In the bottom half, Pittsburgh Pinch-hitter Nick Yorke had a two-run single against JoJo Romero, scoring Konnor Griffin and Joey Bart, then in the eighth inning off George Soriano Oneil Cruz grounded into a run-scoring forceout, driving in Gonzales to cut the lead to 5-4.
In the ninth inning, with closer Riley O'Brien on the mound for the Cardinals, Ryan O’Hearn singled with one out i and Marcell Ozuna struck out on three straight pitches. With two outs, Gonzales drove a first-pitch slider to left, and Church jumped and caught the ball above the top of the 6-foot wall, 373 feet from home plate. Gonzales' drive would have been a home run in 27 of the 30 big league ballparks, according to MLB Statcast, all but PNC Park, Camden Yards and Globe Life Field.
Andre Pallante earned the win, improving to 3-2 on the season, allowing one run and five hits while striking out six in a season-high six innings. O'Brien escaped with his eighth save in 10 chances. At the plate, Herrera was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Burleson was 1-for-4 with a home run and a walk, driving in two runs.
St. Louis and Pittsburgh wrap up their four game series tomorrow. Hunter Dobbins, acquired from Boston in the Willson Contreras trade in December, is slated to make his Cardinals debut against reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes (4-2, 2.48 ERA, 30K's). First pitch is at 11:35am, pregame will begin near the start at 11:25 on KY 102 (102.5FM).
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