Polanco powers Pirates past Cardinals

[July 05, 2016]  ST. LOUIS -- Gregory Polanco isn't yet capable of going all-out to run down a ball in the gap or hustling out an infield hit.

But Polanco's injured hamstring sure didn't prevent him from a personal milestone.

Clubbing two homers in a game for the first time in his major league career Monday, Polanco led the Pittsburgh Pirates to their fifth straight win with a 4-2 decision over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

"It's a marvelous feeling to be able to hit like that and produce the way I do," Polanco said through an interpreter.

The right fielder wiped out a 1-0 deficit in the sixth inning by lining a two-run homer off Carlos Martinez into the seats in right. He capped Pittsburgh's scoring in the eighth with a lead-off homer off reliever Seth Maness that sliced inside the left field foul pole.

Not bad for a guy that manager Clint Hurdle wasn't sure he could put in the lineup until about 90 minutes before the scheduled start, and then only after Polanco went through a workout with the team's training staff.

"He felt he could navigate out there and make plays," Hurdle said. "Could he go out there and blow it out for a ball? No. That being said, he continues to work and he continues to be a force in this park."

Polanco served as Pittsburgh's designated hitter for most of last week as it worked through AL West cities Seattle and Oakland. Polanco has enjoyed the best season of his three-year big league career despite the injury, batting .298 with 12 homers and 50 RBI after Monday's outburst.

That his latest big game occurred at a rival's expense wasn't lost on Polanco, either.

"It always feels good to get a win anywhere, but against the Cardinals, it feels even better," he said.

The beneficiary of Polanco's career first was Jonathon Niese (7-6), who bounced back from two poor starts against St. Louis to earn the win.

Niese scattered seven hits and allowed just one run in 5 2/3 innings, walking one and fanning three. Prior to this outing, Niese had been tagged for 12 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings over two starts this year by the Cardinals.

Martinez (7-6) was again victimized by a lack of run support after enjoying the run calendar earlier in the season. He worked seven solid innings, giving up three runs off nine hits and a walk while fanning seven.

In his last five starts, Martinez has pitched to a 1.27 earned run average, but has just one win and three no-decisions to go along with this defeat. He even banged out two hits at the plate to up his season average to .290.

Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco (25) hits a two run home run off of St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

"Things happen like that," he said through an interpreter. "You have to have trust in my team."

Matt Carpenter gave St. Louis (43-39) a 1-0 lead in the fifth, lining a single to right that scored Jedd Gyorko.

Between Polanco's long balls, John Jaso tacked on a two-out RBI single in the seventh, one pitch after Martinez felt he slipped a 2-2 breaking ball by him on the outside corner that plate umpire Dale Scott called a ball.

Carpenter brought home the Cardinals' other run in the ninth with a two-out double to right against reliever Neftali Feliz, ending a MLB-long scoreless streak of 34 innings by the Pirates' bullpen. But Feliz, closing because Mark Melancon and his 24 saves weren't available, induced a game-ending flyout from Matt Holliday with the potential tying runs aboard for his first save.

After the game, Pittsburgh (42-41) announced that Tuesday night's scheduled starter, rookie Jameson Taillon, was going on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder fatigue. Left-hander Steven Brault will probably be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his first big league start.

NOTES: To make room for C Eric Fryer, who it claimed off waivers from St. Louis Sunday, Pittsburgh Monday placed catcher Chris Stewart (left knee) on the 15-day DL. It also designated RHP Rob Scahill for assignment so that Fryer could be on the 40-man roster. ... St. Louis named RHP Luke Weaver (Double-A) and OF Brian Sanchez (Rookie League) its Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Month for June. ... Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen (heel) returned to the lineup Monday after being rested for Sunday's 6-3 win in Oakland, going 0-for-4.

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