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 The looks on the faces of the surging Pittsburgh Pirates -- and the
suddenly altered look of the National League Central standings --
say something else.
Gregory Polanco lined a game-winning single to right field to cap
off Pittsburgh's three-run rally in the 10th inning against All-Star
closer Trevor Rosenthal, and the Pirates won their second dramatic
game against the Cardinals in as many nights, 6-5 on Sunday.
"Yeah, it was kind of tough. Yeah, it was tough," Molina said after
the Cardinals couldn't hold an extra-inning lead for the second time
in 24 hours.
St. Louis left fielder Randal Grichuk's two-run double broke a tie
in the 10th inning and put the sliding Cardinals in position to
split the four-game series, but the Pirates scored three runs with
two outs against Rosenthal -- who converted all but one of his
previous 27 save opportunities.
Third baseman Jung Ho Kang followed left fielder Starling Marte's
single with an RBI single ahead of catcher Francisco Cervelli's
tying single to right as the last five Pirates batters reached base.
Polanco then won it with a line shot to right, his first career
walk-off hit. Polanco had three hits and two RBIs.
The Pirates trimmed the Cardinals' NL Central lead to 2 1/2 games
only two weeks after they were down by nine games on June 28. They
also followed up their dramatic, comeback-filled 6-5, 14-inning win
Saturday on center fielder Andrew McCutchen's walk-off, two-run
homer with another improbable rally.
"The last two nights were amazing," Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer
said.
Pittsburgh (53-35) won eight of its past nine and 11 of its past 13.
The Cardinals are a major-league-best 56-33 but have dropped three
in a row and five of seven.
Still, Molina said the two losses -- no matter how gut-wrenching
they were -- are merely two defeats in the standings.
"It's a loss, no matter how it is," he said.
Molina's RBI grounder tied it in the eighth against left-hander Tony
Watson, and Grichuk's two-run double appeared to put the Cardinals
in position to win with Rosenthal (1-2) coming on.
"When you get sucker-punched in the late innings, then you're able
to grind it out and give yourself an opportunity to win, that's a
sign of a resilient team, and that's what we have," Pirates second
baseman Neil Walker said.
The Pirates go into the break with a major-league-best 40-19 record
since May 9.
"We do a really good job of battling," Walker said. "Games like
tonight and last night are a reason why this team's pretty special."
Right-hander Arquimedes Caminero (1-1) got his first major league
win despite allowing two runs in the 10th.
The Cardinals, 5-0 previously in Sunday night games, took a 1-0 lead
against Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano in the second on three
singles, a walk and a double-play grounder. However, in the bottom
of the second, the back part of the Pirates' batting order produced
a two-run rally against Cardinals rookie left-hander Tim Cooney,
making his fourth career start.
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Cervelli hit a one-out triple to center -- only his third triple in
the past five seasons. After first baseman Sean Rodriguez was
retired on a short fly to right, Polanco was intentionally walked.
Liriano, batting only .057, crossed up the Cardinals with a long,
two-run single to the right field wall. Liriano previously had three
RBIs in his 10-season career.
National League All-Star shortstop Jhonny Peralta tied the score at
2 in the third with his 13th homer, a drive into the left-center
seats on a 3-2 count.
The bottom end of the Pirates' order came through again in the
fourth. Rodriguez doubled to right with one out, and Polanco --
batting only .114 with two RBIs in 44 at-bats this season against
left-handers -- lashed an RBI single to right, giving Pittsburgh a
3-2 lead.
Now comes the season's second half -- and nine more games between
the Cardinals and Pirates, six in St. Louis, in what might be the
majors' best head-to-head race. The Cardinals and Pirates own the
majors' two best records.
"We know they're not going to go anywhere. We're not going to go
anywhere," Molina said. "We just have to play better."
NOTES: St. Louis LF Randal Grichuk's hit in the 10th would have been
a triple, but 1B Mark Reynolds was thrown out at the plate trying to
score from first. ... RHPs Lance Lynn and John Lackey will start the
first two games of the Cardinals' series against the New York Mets
next weekend. Manager Mike Matheny might hold back All-Star RHPs
Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha -- both on pace to throw 200
innings -- until the Chicago White Sox series that begins July 21.
... Coming off the 14-inning game in which they used six relievers,
the Pirates recalled RHP Wilfredo Boscan from Triple-A Indianapolis
for the second time this season. He didn't appear in a game while
with them from May 16-18. UT Steve Lombardozzi was optioned to
Triple-A. ... Cardinals 2B Kolten Wong was back in the lineup after
being lifted due to a tight hamstring in the 11th inning Saturday
night. ... Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett, headed to his first All-Star
Game at age 38, plans to wear black-and-gold cleats with a
Batman-like theme Tuesday night in Cincinnati.
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