LDN - Sports

Jaso blast lifts Pirates over Cardinals

[June 24, 2017] ST. LOUIS -- The majority of a sellout crowd of 47,112 believed that Seung Hwan Oh got John Jaso to swing at a 2-2 breaking ball for the third out of the top of the ninth inning Friday night.

Only he didn't. Jaso held up and the pitch was ruled a ball.

On the next pitch, Jaso made Oh pay for not putting him away, ripping a tie-breaking homer that gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

It was the fifth homer this year for Jaso, who entered the game as part of a double-switch in the eighth inning.

"I definitely held up on that swing," Jaso said. "You don't let the anxiety of two strikes get to your head. He threw everything -- cutters, fastballs, splits."

Oh (1-4) left a changeup over the plate's middle and Jaso drilled it 406 feet to right-center, completing Pittsburgh's comeback from a 3-2 deficit with five outs remaining. The Pirates (34-40) passed St. Louis (33-39) by a percentage point for third place in the National League Central, five games back of first place Milwaukee.

Pittsburgh snapped a seven-game losing streak in Busch Stadium, dating back to last July.

"We felt like we were going to win sometime this weekend," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Might as well get it done tonight."

It appeared that Pittsburgh would taste defeat again under the Gateway Arch when rookie second baseman Paul DeJong rifled a solo homer with one out in the seventh to right-center, giving the Cardinals a one-run lead.

But the Pirates spoiled Adam Wainwright's hopes for his eighth win by touching Trevor Rosenthal for the tying run in the eighth. David Freese grounded a two-out RBI single to right, scoring Adam Frazier.

Pittsburgh then preserved the tie behind ace reliever Felipe Rivero and right fielder Gregory Polanco's third terrific catch in as many innings.

Inserted with runners at the corners and one out in the St. Louis half of the eighth, Rivero (3-1) got Aledmys Diaz to line out to third. Then DeJong lofted the first pitch he saw from Rivero into right-center for a potential go-ahead hit.

However, Polanco got a good jump on the ball and made a sliding grab to keep the score equalized.

"He's a plus defender," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Polanco. "He made a couple of nice plays."

Rivero then worked around a leadoff walk to Eric Fryer in the ninth to polish off the victory.

While the Pirates played an errorless game, St. Louis' seventh error in three games cost it a run in the fourth. DeJong turned an ordinary chopper from Josh Bell into a two-base throwing error with one out, moving Freese to third. Andrew McCutchen's infield out evened the score at 2.

[to top of second column]

Pirates first baseman John Jaso (28) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

It was the seventh unearned run the Cardinals have allowed as a result of the miscues.

"He was trying to make more out of that play than was there," Matheny said of DeJong. "He had to rush his throw and it caught (first baseman Matt) Carpenter off-guard."

Homers kicked off the scoring in the second inning. Pittsburgh's Josh Bell laced a solo shot down the right-field line, but Jose Martinez countered with a liner that cleared the left-field wall two pitches after Jedd Gyorko drew a leadoff walk.

Most of the game was dominated by good starting pitching. Wainwright, who allowed 20 runs in his previous three starts, checked the Pirates on two hits in seven innings. He allowed just one earned run, walking two and whiffing five.

Pittsburgh righty Jameson Taillon worked six innings in his third start since returning from the disabled list after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer last month. Taillon allowed four hits and two runs, walking two and fanning seven.

He and his teammates got to savor a win, thanks to Jaso's patience and his stroke.

"I'm not sure he knew how big the situation was," Taillon said of Jaso. "He's so mellow. I don't know if he ever feels the pressure."

NOTES: St. Louis CF Dexter Fowler (quad) sat out his second straight game on Friday night after being injured Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Fowler is optimistic that he'll be able to return to the lineup Saturday night. ... The Cardinals also scratched C Yadier Molina (knee) from their lineup after he noted tightness from getting hit by a foul tip in Thursday's 5-1 loss to the Phillies. Eric Fryer got the start in Molina's place. ... Pittsburgh CF Andrew McCutchen has a streak of 14 homers in nine consecutive seasons, making him just the second player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. Willie Stargell hit 14 or more in 13 straight years from 1964-76.

Back to top