Nick Gonzales delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning, Mitch Keller allowed just one run through the first seven innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates continued their strong form with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. Both teams are vying for a spot in the NL wild card race.
Bryan Reynolds started the eighth inning with a single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. With one out, Gonzales managed to push a slow ground ball past John King (3-2) into right field for the decisive hit.
This wasn’t the first time Gonzales came through in a clutch situation recently. Just days ago, he hit a similar late-game single in the ninth inning against Philadelphia, securing a win for the Pirates.
“Players who can stay calm under pressure and deliver in those key moments have a special quality,” commented Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton. “It’s not something you can teach; it’s something you have to demonstrate. We have a couple of guys on the team who possess that ability.”
Keller had a solid outing, allowing six hits while striking out three and walking two batters over seven innings. Aroldis Chapman (2-4) pitched a perfect eighth inning, setting up David Bednar to secure his 18th save of the season despite allowing a single to Paul Goldschmidt in the ninth.
“It’s a significant team win, especially against the Cardinals,” Keller remarked. “Every win is crucial, especially against a division rival. These are the games we need to come out on top of.”
The Cardinals currently hold the second spot in the NL Central, just one game ahead of the Pirates. Both teams are closely chasing the NL wild card spots, with Pittsburgh trailing the third spot by half a game.
“Every decision, every pitch, every at-bat feels incredibly important,” said St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol. “There’s no margin for error. The games have been tight all season long. Tonight was another example of that. A single mistake can shift the game dynamics significantly.”
