The St. Louis Cardinals Overcome Late Struggle to Secure Victory Against Last-Place Pirates
In a tense and hard-fought game on Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals faced off against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite a late rally, the Cardinals managed to come out on top with a 4-1 win. However, this victory was not enough to erase their struggles against the Pirates throughout the 2025 season, as they finished with a 6-7 record against the last-place team. Surprisingly, two of those wins came against the Pirates’ star pitcher, Paul.
The St. Louis Cardinals Battle the Pittsburgh Pirates for a Late Rally Win
The St. Louis Cardinals faced off against the last place Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday in a tense battle that ended with a 4-1 victory for the Cardinals. Despite the win, the Cardinals finished the 2025 season series with a 6-7 record against the Pirates, with two of those wins surprisingly coming against Paul Skenes.
Cardinals Fight to Avoid Losing Streak Against Pirates
In a crucial game to avoid their second losing streak of the month, the Cardinals found themselves falling behind early on. Former teammate Tommy Pham hit a massive 440-foot home run to give the Pirates an early lead. A two-out walk by Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft did little to spark the Cardinals’ offense in the bottom of the inning.
Pirates’ Bunt Attempt Backfires, Cardinals’ Offense Struggles
The second inning saw more trouble for the Cardinals as the Pirates loaded the bases with a single and a walk. However, a bunt attempt by IKF, who had a .333 batting average against the Cardinals, backfired and the runners were only able to advance. Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas then struck out Pham to end the threat. In the bottom of the inning, the Cardinals’ offense struggled to get anything going, with two strikeouts and a single by Thomas Saggese.
Mikolas Shines, Nootbaar Breaks Slump
Mikolas settled in after a rough start and pitched a 1-2-3 third inning with two strikeouts. In the fourth inning, Lars Nootbaar broke his 0-20 slump with a single, followed by a clutch double from Ivan Herrera to tie the game. However, a baserunning mistake by Herrera led to an out and the Cardinals were unable to take the lead.
Relievers Keep Game Tied, Nootbaar’s Hustle Leads to Winning Run
Both teams remained scoreless for the next two innings, with Mikolas exiting the game after five innings of one-run ball. Reliever Kyle Leahy (4-1) worked around a walk in the sixth to keep the game tied. In the bottom of the inning, Nootbaar’s hustle led to a single and forced Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft out of the game. Reliever Yohan Ramirez (1-2) then hit Willson Contreras with a pitch, putting two runners on for the Cardinals. However, Nolan Gorman’s flyout ended the inning and both starters received a no-decision.
Cardinals Stage Late Rally for 4-1 Win Against Pirates
In the seventh inning, the Cardinals finally broke the tie when Yadier Molina hit a two-run double, followed by an RBI single from Paul Goldschmidt. Reliever Giovanny Gallegos closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning, securing the 4-1 win for the Cardinals. With this win, the Cardinals improve their record to 6-7 against the Pirates this season.
