Rookie Ponce shines as Pirates finish sweep of Cardinals

[August 28, 2020]  Cody Ponce scattered five hits over 5 2/3 innings as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 to complete a doubleheader sweep Thursday.

The Pirates won the first game 4-3 in eight innings.

Ponce (1-1) won his first start of his season in his third career game. He appeared in relief twice earlier this season before building more arm strength at the Pirates' alternate training site.

Nik Turley closed out the seventh inning for the Pirates to earn his first save. All doubleheader games this season are seven innings.

Cardinals starter Johan Oviedo (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in his five innings.

Ponce stayed clear of potential trouble early on by coaxing double-play grounders from Paul DeJong in the first inning and Dylan Carlson in the second.

Oviedo retired the first six batters he faced before encountering turbulence in the third inning. JT Riddle drew a one-out walk, John Ryan Murphy followed with a single and both runners moved up on a wild pitch.

Erik Gonzalez lined an RBI single to left field and Adam Frazier lined a run-scoring single to center field to put the Pirates ahead 2-0. Oviedo limited the damage by getting Bryan Reynolds to hit into a forceout and Josh Bell to fly out to end the inning.

Murphy drew a one-out walk in the fifth inning and Frazier hit a two-out single, but Oviedo struck out Reynolds to end that threat.

Cardinals starting pitcher Kwang-Hyun Kim (33) pitches during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Carlson hit a double leading off the bottom of the inning for the Cardinals, but Ponce retired Max Schrock and Harrison Bader on popups before striking out Tommy Edman to strand the runner in scoring position.

Austin Gomber relieved Oviedo to start the sixth inning and allowed Josh Bell's leadoff single. Jose Osuna hit a two-out single, but Riddle grounded out to end the inning.

Brad Miller hit a two-out triple in the sixth, but reliever Geoff Hartlieb got Tyler O'Neill to foul out.

--Field Level Media

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