Seven runs last Saturday, seven strikeouts this time
Six days ago Quinn Mathews left the mound in Philadelphia having been hit for seven runs and 10 hits in five innings. Friday night in St. Louis, the Cardinals left-hander got into the sixth, fanned seven and gave up a single run. The Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 4-1 at home. First big-league win for the rookie, in his fourth career start.
Five hits, one walk, 5 2/3 innings of work. He was ranked inside baseball’s top 50 prospects before the season and came up from Triple-A on August 1.
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Crooks was hitting .171 and had not gone deep since August 3
The third inning turned it. Nolan Gorman doubled. Center fielder Oneil Cruz booted the ball and Gorman took third. Then Jimmy Crooks got hold of a Jared Jones pitch and drove it 417 feet to right. 2-0.
Fifth homer of the year for the catcher, whose bat had gone quiet for three weeks. Nathan Church tacked on a sacrifice fly an inning later. Jordan Walker collected three hits and scored twice. Jones took the loss, his fifth in a row, charged with three runs and seven hits in 4 1/3.
Five back of San Diego with a month to play
St. Louis had dropped five of six before this one. The win keeps them five games behind the Padres for the last wild-card berth. Pittsburgh sits seven back.
The Pirates had their openings. Jared Triolo singled home a run in the fourth, then two runners reached scoring position, but Esmerling Valdez struck out. In the eighth Cruz smoked a liner at 105 mph that clipped Bryan Reynolds’ leg on the way through. Scored a single. Inning over.
A third Pittsburgh error, a wild throw from shortstop Jacob Gonzalez, handed the Cardinals an insurance run. Ryne Stanek retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save, with closer Riley O’Brien unavailable.
Pittsburgh is 10-15 in August and has scored five runs total across its last four games.
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