|
 Mercer singled in Gregory Polanco, who signed a five-year, $35
million contract extension earlier in the day, with the winning run
in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Pirates beat the St. Louis
Cardinals 6-5 on a 40-degree Tuesday night.
"We were huddled around the one heater in our dugout from about the
fourth or fifth inning on just trying our best to stay warm," Mercer
said with a smile.
Polanco started the winning rally by drawing a one-out walk off Seth
Maness (0-1). He moved to second on Josh Harrison's infield single
and scored on Mercer's single to right field, the shortstop's fourth
career walk-off hit.
Mercer had swung and missed at two changeups form Maness but
connected on the third.
"I was determined I wasn't going to strike out on the change,"
Mercer said. "I committed to letting the ball travel as deep in the
strike zone as possible before I swung at it."
 Kyle Lobstein (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win, his
first in the National League after being claimed off waivers from
the Detroit Tigers in the offseason.
The Pirates emerged in the battle of the bullpens as their relievers
pitched six scoreless innings. Arqumiedes Caminero, Tony Watson,
Neftali Feliz and Mark Melancon all pitched one inning each between
starter Jon Niese and Lobstein.
The Cardinals bullpen also pitched six scoreless innings before
Mercer delivered against Maness, who was working his second inning.
Tyler Lyons got two outs in the fifth after replacing starter
Michael Wacha then Seung-Hwan Oh, Kevin Siegrist, Jonathan Broxton
and Trevor Rosenthal pitched one scoreless inning.
"They were terrific," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "One
right after the other, that's what we were hoping for. Except having
a two-run lead and handing it over to them."
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was just as pleased with his relief
corps: "It was really the tale of two ballgames. First it was then
the starters then the bullpens took over and a lot of our guys
contributed."
Andrew McCutchen had three of the Pirates' 10 hits and Mercer,
Harrison and David Freese added two each. Polanco had two RBIs as
Pittsburgh beat the Cardinals for the second straight time in the
season-opening, three-game series that ends Wednesday night.
St. Louis' Jedd Gyorko, who belted a two-run homer, and Stephen
Piscotty each had two hits. Matt Holliday drove in two runs despite
going 0-for-4.
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Aledmys Diaz and Jermey Hazelbaker each had their first major league
hits for the Cardinals. Diaz, a shortstop making his debut after
being called up from Triple-A Memphis a day earlier, singled in the
third inning in his first plate appearance and Hazlebaker had a
pinch-double in the ninth.
Both starting pitchers gave up five runs -- four earned in their
first outings of the season.
Niese, the left-hander acquired from the New York Mets, also allowed
five hits in innings, though he struck out seven and walked only
one. Wacha was tagged for 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings.
"I didn't think it was quite as bad as the results looked," Niese
said. "I thought I threw the ball fairy well but I also know I need
to throw better than this, have better results."
Said Wacha: I felt good. Missed on location there a few times and
they made me pay. I just got myself in trouble too many times."
NOTES: Cardinals OF Tommy Pham (strained left oblique) is expected
to sit out a month after leaving Sunday's game in the second inning
then being placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday. ... Cardinals
C Brayan Pena underwent arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to remove
loose bodies from his left knee and is expected to out for
approximately one month. ... Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole, who likely
would have started the opener after a 19-win season, will make his
2016 debut on Saturday at Cincinnati. The Pirates opted to have Cole
make an extra spring training start -- he worked six innings on
Saturday in a minor league game -- after being slowed at the start
of camp with a strained ribcage. ... Cardinals RHP Mike Leake
(11-10, 3.70 ERA in 2015) and Pirates RHP Juan Nicasio (1-3, 3.86
ERA in 2015) will debut for their new teams on Wednesday night after
being signed as free agents when they face off in the finale of the
three-game series. Leake signed a five-year, $80 million contact and
Nicasio was inked to a one-year, $3 million deal.
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