Surging Cardinals edge slumping Pirates
 Source: Reuters

[July 24, 2019]  Paul Goldschmidt hit a tying two-run home run, and Jose Martinez smacked a tiebreaking solo homer Tuesday as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3.

Kolten Wong added an RBI double for the Cardinals, who erased an early three-run deficit and have won three straight games, 6 of 7 and 9 of 11. St. Louis has prevailed in the first two games of the four-game series.

Starling Marte hit a three-run homer for the Pirates, who have lost three in row, 5 of 6 and 9 of 11.

St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson (10-4) pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits, including a homer, with five strikeouts and three walks. He is 8-1 over his past 12 starts and has won four starts in a row.

Andrew Miller pitched a one-two-three ninth inning for his third save.

Pittsburgh starter Chris Archer (3-7), who has not won since June 6, went six innings, giving up four runs and seven hits, including both homers, with six strikeouts and two walks.

Adam Frazier led off the Pittsburgh first with a single to center. Bryan Reynolds walked, and Marte followed with his 17th homer, into the bullpens in center, for a 3-0 lead. It was his fifth homer since the All-Star break.

In the second, Paul DeJong and Wong hit back-to-back doubles with one out to draw the Cardinals to within 3-1.

Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson (43) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Martinez singled to center with one out in the third in front of Goldschmidt, who homered for the second night in row and 20th time this year, a liner to left that tied it 3-3.

In the fifth, Martinez led off with his 10th homer, to right-center, to give St. Louis a 4-3 lead.

Pittsburgh loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth on Frazier's leadoff single, Reynolds' four-pitch walk and Marte's five-pitch walk, but Hudson struck out Josh Bell and got Colin Moran to ground into a double play.

--Field Level Media

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