MLB – No miracle for the Pirates: Church pulls off a ridiculous game-winning catch.

Nathan Church’s miracle: a home-run steal to seal the win

You might think a kid called Church would know a thing or two about not stealing. Not Nathan Church. The Cardinals outfielder ripped victory away from the Pirates on Wednesday night at PNC Park, climbing the wall to haul in what looked like a sure home run. It was the third time this season the rookie has robbed an opponent of a homer, but this one came with the game on the line, for the final out. Nick Gonzales thought he had launched the winner for Pittsburgh. Church killed the crowd in a flash and turned what looked like a loss into a 5-4 Cardinals win.

Preparation pays off

That kind of play is not just luck. Before every series, Church spends hours with coach Jon Jay studying the walls in each ballpark. That homework means he knows exactly how the ball is likely to carom, or where the fence is, before he even jumps. It was the sort of work ethic that bailed out reliever Riley O’Brien, who admitted he got a scare as soon as contact was made: “As soon as the ball left the bat, I thought it was gone.”

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Let’s do it

A sharp offence and a solid Pallante

The Cardinals did plenty right at the plate. Young standout JJ Wetherholt again showed off his elite bat control with a run-scoring double at 100 mph in the third inning. Alec Burleson then added some muscle with a 411-foot opposite-field homer. Those runs gave starter Andre Pallante plenty to work with and let him walk away after six strong innings having allowed just one run.

Cold sweats for the bullpen

If the early going felt easy for Pallante, the finish was anything but. Ryne Stanek and George Soriano struggled to shut the door, turning a handy lead into a nerve-jangling mess. Even phenom Masyn Winn made a rare error that let the Pirates close to within one. Thankfully, JoJo Romero put out the fire by getting Marcell Ozuna to roll into a huge groundout with the bases loaded. The Cardinals escaped, barely, and they can thank their church for the divine rescue.

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