Pirates hit three homers to tromp Cardinals

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[June 25, 2021]    Bryan Reynolds drove in four runs as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 on Thursday.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Reynolds hit a three-run homer and an RBI single for the Pirates, who won for the fourth time in six games. Adam Frazier and Phillip Evans also hit homers and Colin Moran drove in two runs.

The Cardinals lost for the sixth time in seven games to fall three games below .500 for the first time this season.

Pirates starting pitcher Chad Kuhl (2-4) held the Cardinals to one run on three hits and three walks in six innings.

Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (3-9) allowed five runs in five innings on five hits and seven walks, one of them intentional.

The Pirates took a quick 2-0 lead. Frazier drew a walk leading off the game and Ke'Bryan Hayes followed with a single to extend his on-base streak to 28 games, dating back to last season.

Reynolds drove in one run with a single, then Moran drove in another with a fielder's choice grounder.

Tyler O'Neill drew a leadoff walk in the second inning and scored on rookie Lars Nootbaar's two-out single to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the third inning before Martinez worked out of the jam. But they broke the game open in the fourth inning while taking a 5-1 lead.

Michael Perez hit a leadoff double. Although he was thrown out trying to advance to third base on Kuhl's bunt, the Pirates were undeterred.

Frazier hit a single, then Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman bobbled Hayes' potential double-play grounder. Edman got just a forceout instead, giving Reynolds his opportunity to launch a three-run homer.

Frazier's sixth-inning homer made it 6-1. The Pirates tacked on two more runs in the eighth, on Evans' homer and Moran's RBI single.

The Cardinals got one run back in their half of the eighth inning when O'Neill was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

--Field Level Media

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