Martín Pérez pitched six innings without allowing any runs, while Rowdy Tellez hit a home run into the Allegheny River. The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 on Wednesday, winning two out of three games in the series.
Pérez, who now has a 2-5 record, gave up four hits and walked five batters while striking out two. Despite entering the game with a high 5.61 ERA, Pérez expressed confidence in his performance: “I trust my stuff every time I take the mound. Today, I was able to compete and throw a lot of strikes.”
Tellez’s home run off Matthew Liberatore, a 447-foot blast into the river beyond the right field wall, helped extend the Pirates’ lead to five runs in the fourth inning. Tellez commented on the win, saying, “It was a good day. Martín pitched his heart out. This win puts us in a good position as we head into our road trip.”
Liberatore, on the other hand, struggled, giving up five runs on four hits over three innings, walking three and striking out three.
The Pirates have been on a hot streak, winning eight of their last ten games. They have won their first two series after the All-Star break against the Phillies and the Cardinals, positioning themselves third in the NL Central, just one game behind the second-place Cardinals.
Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton praised his team’s performance, especially against tough opponents: “Going 4-2 on the homestand against the best team in baseball and the team ahead of us in the division is very important. We need to keep playing well.”
The Cardinals, currently half a game ahead of the Padres for the third wild card spot, struggled to capitalize, leaving 11 runners on base. Since the All-Star break, they have a 3-3 record.
In the second inning, Connor Joe contributed to the Pirates’ offensive effort with a two-out, two-run double to left-center field. This hit, which drove in runs and eluded a diving Dylan Carlson in center field, marked Joe’s first RBIs since June 11.
