Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Evan Meek escaped a bases loaded jam to hold down Pittsburgh's 4-3 victory over St. Louis in the second test of a three- game series at PNC Park.
Evan Meek Escapes Big Jam, Pirates Hand Cardinals Crushing Loss
Meek gave up a single to Skip Schumaker and an infield base hit to Randy Winn before Aaron Miles bunted each runner up one base, putting the tying run at second base. Jon Jay then smoked a hot-shot grounder to short that loaded the bases for St. Louis' big bombers.
Albert Pujols scalded a grounder that bounded off Jose Tabata's glove and into shallow left, scoring one run and keeping the bases loaded. However, Meek bared down and got Matt Holliday to pop out to second before Felipe Lopez skied to short to finish off his second save.
Joel Hanrahan (3-1) picked up the victory with 1 1/3 frames of hitless relief. Paul Maholm started and pitched 6 2/3 effective frames, giving up two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Neil Walker drove in three runs and Tabata had two hits and two runs scored for the Pirates, winners in two of the last three games.
Adam Wainwright (17-8) was hit with the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and four walks through seven frames. Holliday hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
The two big hitters for the Cardinals came through in the first as Pujols lined a two-out single to left-center and Holliday followed with a long home run into the bullpen in left-center field.
After working through a two-on, two-out jam in the first and navigating a one- out single in the second, Wainwright retired 11 straight batters until Andrew McCutchen smoked a two-bagger past Holliday in left. Tabata followed with a long drive that skipped to the wall, allowing the fleet-footed McCutchen to score as Tabata took third. Walker then came through with a game- tying single to right.
Maholm exited with a runner on first in the seventh, but Hanrahan induced a Pujols pop up to end the frame. The Pirates then seized the lead in the home half, as Ronny Cedeno doubled and moved to third on Delwyn Young's sacrifice bunt. After McCutchen grounded out, Tabata walked, stole second and joined Cedeno in crossing the plate on Walker's single to center.
Wainwright was attempting to become the first 18-game winner this season...Pittsburgh had lost 13 of 15 before Tuesday’s victory...The Pirates scored more than two runs for just the second time in their last 13 games...Wainwright has lost two straight starts...St. Louis dropped to 9-5 at PNC Park since the start of the 2009 season...Pujols finished 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored, but stayed stuck at 399 career home runs.
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