By MATT PIKE
Jose Fermin hit a tiebreaking two-run double after Pedro Pages and JJ Wetherholt hit consecutive homers, all in the ninth inning, as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 at PNC Park after breaking up a perfect game bid.
The Pirates scored one run in each of the first two innings on RBI singles by Ryan O’Hearn, driving in Brandon Lowe for the opening run, and Jake Mangum, scoring Nick Gonzales to extend the lead, off Cardinals starter Dustin May In six innings, May allowed two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
With the Pirates leading 2-0, four Pittsburgh pitchers combined to shut down the Cardinals through 6.2 innings before Alec Burleson legged out a two-out, infield single off Evan Sisk in the seventh inning to break up the perfect game.
Pittsburgh opener Mason Montgomery and Justin Lawrence each pitched an inning and Wilber Dotel worked the next four, striking out three. Sisk pitched two-thirds of an inning before he replaced by Isaac Mattson after allowing the Cardinals' first hit. The Pirates carried their two-run lead into the ninth before Santana blew the save.
Pages' and Wetherholt’s home runs off Dennis Santana (2-2) lifted the Cardinals into a tie ball game, before Fermin’s double into the left-field corner scored Victor Scott II and Burleson, giving St. Louis the 4-2 lead, all with one out in the inning. Ryan Fernandez earned his first win of the season in relief and George Soriano earned his first save as the Cardinals snapped a four-game losing skid.
At the plate, Burleson and Fermin each had two hits apiece, Burleson going 2-for-4 and Fermin going 2-for-2 pinch hitting for Nolan Gorman in the eighth, with the double and two RBIs. Wetherholt was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI and has now homered in three consecutive games.
St. Louis and Pittsburgh continue their four game series tomorrow. Kyle Leahy (2-3, 5.63 ERA, 15K's) takes the mound for the Cardinals and is expected to face Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.43 ERA, 32K's). First pitch is at 5:40pm, pregame coverage begins near the start at 5:30 on KY 102 (102.5FM).