With two outs in the tenth inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to score three runs off Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal and for the second game in a row, the Cardinals lost 6-5 in extra innings. Gregory Polanco’s bases-loaded single with two outs capped a three-run rally, one night after Andrew McCutcheon’s two-run homer in the 14th brought Pittsburgh back for a 6-5 win.
The blown save by Rosenthal ended a string of 18 straight saves and after a hit and two quick outs, it’s looked like it with be 19 in a row for the Cardinals closer. Starling Marte brought Pittsburgh within a run with an RBI single. Francisco Cervelli tied it with a single and Polanco followed two batters later with a liner to right to score Jung Ho Kang.
“To get three off an All-Star closer …” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “For our guys to even show up after spotting them two — incredible things happen when you get a group of men together with one common goal.”
All of this happened after the Cardinals tied it 3-3 in the eighth and then went up 5-3 in the top of the tenth on a double by Randal Grichuk that scored Yadier Molina and Pete Kozma, but Mark Reynolds was thrown out at the plate.
Watch the game winning hit (VIDEO/MLB.com)”
The Cardinals enter the All-Star break with the best record in baseball at 56-33, but after taking three out of four this weekend, the Pirates are just 2.5 games out.