LDN - Sports

Fowler helps Cardinals beat Pirates, snap slide

[August 18, 2017] PITTSBURGH -- With a 15-hit attack, the St. Louis Cardinals produced plenty of good stats Thursday. Dexter Fowler still stood out.

Fowler drove in three runs and scored three as the Cardinals broke a three-game losing streak with an 11-7 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

"He's fitting into those spots in big situations," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said of Fowler. "He's coming up with those big hits that we keep talking about that are so pivotal to a team going on a good run."

Fowler was 2-for-3 with a walk and is on a 6-for-11 tear over the past three games.

"I feel healthy," Fowler said. "This is actually the first time since I went into spring training that I feel like I'm healthy. That definitely is a big part."

The Pirates (58-63), who blew an early four-run lead, have lost five straight to fall four games behind the third-place Cardinals (62-59) in the National League Central. St. Louis is 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the division.

All 16 starting position players had at least one hit, and Pittsburgh also had 15 hits.

The Pirates led 5-1 after three innings. St. Louis closed within 5-4 in the fifth and took its first lead in the seventh off reliever Joaquin Benoit (1-6). Fowler's two-RBI triple and Yadier Molina's ensuing base hit gave the Cardinals a 7-5 edge.

Tommy Pham led off the ninth with his 15th homer -- a 440-foot blast to left -- for an 8-5 lead. St. Louis poured it on with Kolten Wong's RBI single and Randal Grichuk's two-RBI triple later in the ninth to make it 11-5 as the Cardinals batted around against Wade LeBlanc.

Sam Tuivailala (3-1) earned the victory despite allowing three hits and two walks in one-plus scoreless inning.

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright lasted only three innings. He dealt with elbow soreness in his previous start, which kept him from reaching 90 mph or striking out anyone.

Wainwright again failed to hit 90 mph Thursday and didn't strike out a batter while allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk, but he extended his unbeaten streak to nine starts (5-0).

However, he had the same issue, and Matheny said Wainwright is being sent back to St. Louis for evaluation.

"It's real disappointing because this time of year ... is usually when I go," Wainwright said. "In my whole career, this is when I've taken off and played some really good baseball. So it's hard for me to look my guys in the face and tell them that I'm sorry and it wasn't as good as it needed to be."

Pittsburgh took advantage of Wainwright's lack of velocity.

"Definitely a different look for guys that have faced him in years past," Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison said.

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Cardinals center fielder Dexter Fowler (25) hits a two run triple against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon saw his night end early, but not necessarily because of a rain delay after the fifth. He gave up four runs and seven hits over five innings, with three walks and seven strikeouts.

Two of the runs he allowed, along with two of the walks, came in the fifth when it was raining.

"The weather looked like it was starting to get a little challenging to navigate," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "It seemed like the more he stayed out there in the rain, the more his execution seemed to tail off some."

Even without the rain, Hurdle would have pulled Taillon following the fifth.

"We had a 5-1 lead, and (then) it's 5-4," Hurdle said. "I thought the command was getting away from him a little bit. It really didn't matter because there was over an hour rain delay."

Harrison, who was 3-for-5, gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead in the first with his 13th homer, just over the wall in left. It also brought home Starling Marte, who opened with a single to right.

St. Louis answered with Jedd Gyorko's two-out homer to the same spot in the second, making it 2-1.

The Pirates scored three two-out runs in the third when five consecutive baserunners reached. Harrison singled to center, Andrew McCutchen walked and Josh Bell, David Freese and Adam Frazier singled.

Wong's RBI base hit in the fourth closed it to 5-2 for St. Louis.

The Cardinals added two in the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles by Paul DeJong and Fowler to make it 5-4.

NOTES: The start was delayed 20 minutes by rain, and there was a 72-minute delay after the fifth. ... St. Louis RHP Trevor Rosenthal was placed on the 10-day disabled list with posterior elbow irritation. The Cardinals recalled RHP Luke Weaver from Triple-A Memphis, his third promotion in the past seven weeks. He threw two scoreless innings Thursday. ... Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli was placed on the 10-day DL, retroactive to Monday, because of left wrist inflammation. The Pirates recalled INF Max Moroff from Triple-A Indianapolis.

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