Pirates Journal

Game 93 Recap-

Reserve OF Jason Michaels 2 run home run in the  10th inning was the difference and completed a huge comeback as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 12-11 in 10 innings Saturday night at PNC Park. The Pirates scored 9 runs from the 7th inning on and had 3 key homers over the span. The game featured 7 home runs and 35 hits & was among the most entertaining played in MLB all season.

LF Jason Bay’s 2 run homer in the 1st got the game started but the Cardinals responded and then some. St Louis plated 3 runs in the 3rd via rbi hits from 1b Albert Pujols, LF Ryan Ludwick & C Yadier Molina. Pirates RH SP Yoslan Herrera, making his ML debut, was strong ealry but tired in his 2nd turn thru the order. Ludwick hit a 2 run shot in the 4th to make it 5-2. Pirates 1b Adam Laroche’s solo shot in the 4th cut the gap to 5-3.

Cardinals RH SP Todd Wellemeyer(7-4,4.04) battled for 6 1/3 innings, allowing 4 hits and 4 runs with 2 Ks and 1 walk. Herrera was gone in the 5th, over 4 1/3, he served up 11 hits and 6 runs, with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. The Cards pushed the lead to 9-3 with runs in the 5th(1 run), 6th (2)& 7th(1). The team exchanged single runs & the spread stood at 10-4. An amazing comeback was about to begin.

In the 8th, Bay hit a 2 run shot to make it 10-6. CF Nate McLouth followed with a 3 run shot in the 9th and suddenly the score was 10-9. 2b Luis Rivas singled and scored on another huge Bay at bat, this time via a fielders choice to shortstop. Cardinals 3b Troy Glaus homered in the 10th to put St Louis up 11-10. However, after C Raul Chavez singled, Michaels hit RH Chris Perez(2-1,4.18) pitch out to left center , giving the Pirates an incredible 12-11 victory!

“It was one of the more amazing games I’ve ever been involved in,” Bay said. “That was something I’ll never forget. Early on, it kind of felt like we were down by 10. You get a hit here, a homer, and you say, ‘OK, OK, we’ve got some momentum’ and that’s when you start to feel it. Nate comes up and, boom, that puts you within one run.”

Star of the Game-

Entire Pirates team… everyone had a part, amazing, amazing Saturday night!

Pirates Notes-

INF Doug Mientkiewicz was ejected in the 4th for arguing a play at 2b…Laroche, Rivas and Bay led the team with 2 hits apiece… RH Danny Bautista(3-1,4.91) got the win and has been a great addition to an injured pitching staff

Next Game-

Sunday,1:35 PM, PNC Park

Pirates RH Ian Snell(3-7,5.84) vs Cardinals RH Joel Pineiro( 3-4,4.17)