sammy 
The St. Louis Cardinals arrived in Pittsburgh and made their bats speak loudly, overwhelming the Pirates 11-7 in a game defined by early power, relentless pressure, and a late surge that finally put things out of reach.
From the opening innings, the Cardinals set the tone. Nolan Gorman struck first with a leadoff home run in the second inning—his fourth of the season—igniting a scoring burst that quickly stretched the visitors’ advantage. Victor Scott II followed with his first homer of the year, and the Cardinals’ lineup kept rolling as Jordan Walker and Gorman continued to drive in runs with a mix of timely hitting and sacrifice flies.
By the fifth inning, St. Louis had built a commanding 6-0 lead, with Alec Burleson adding to the damage through extra-base production, while Walker and Gorman kept the pressure on with situational hitting that punished Pittsburgh’s pitching mistakes.
The Pirates briefly stirred to life in the sixth. Oneil Cruz launched a solo shot, and Ryan O’Hearn added a two-run homer to cut the deficit and inject life into the home dugout. But the momentum proved fleeting.
Kyle Leahy steadied the Cardinals’ effort on the mound despite allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven and keeping Pittsburgh from mounting a sustained comeback. Once St. Louis’ lineup reasserted control, the game tilted firmly out of reach again.
The Cardinals responded with authority, tacking on three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth, effectively shutting the door. Burleson, Walker, and Masyn Winn all contributed multi-hit performances, while JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera consistently turned over the lineup and kept the offense flowing.
Pittsburgh added a late solo homer from rookie Konnor Griffin in the ninth, but it served only as a footnote in a game already decided.
With the win, St. Louis secured its second straight in the series, extending Pittsburgh’s skid to three games and continuing a sharp reversal of form after their own recent struggles.
