Pirates at Cardinals
The Pittsburgh Pirates finally posted their first victory since the All-Star break and now they will try to win a series when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals for the rubber match of a three-game set Wednesday afternoon. Colin Moran and Kevin Newman each knocked in a run in the ninth inning as the Pirates earned a 3-1 victory Tuesday after dropping the previous four contests by a combined score of 29-10.
Newman is 12-for-29 over his last seven games and Moran 16-for-37 in July for Pittsburgh, which will need more from major league RBI leader Josh Bell after he managed just his third hit Tuesday in 19 at-bats without an RBI since the break. Chris Archer looks to match his performance from the first six innings of his last start when he takes the ball in the series finale for the Pirates and the Cardinals counter with Daniel Ponce de Leon, who has been outstanding at Busch Stadium this season. St. Louis had won three in a row before Tuesday’s setback and sits three games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central after pitcher Jack Flaherty knocked in its only run. Left fielder Tyler O’Neill had a pair of hits Tuesday and is 8-for-16 with three homers and nine RBIs during a four-game hitting streak while the Cardinals’ top three hitters went 0-for-12 in their latest loss.
TV: 1:15 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Chris Archer (3-6, 5.42 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Daniel Ponce de Leon (1-0, 1.99)
Archer tossed six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs last Friday, but allowed three runs without recording an out in the seventh to notch his fifth straight no-decision. The 30-year-old North Carolina native has struck out 98 in 84 2/3 innings, but served up 21 homers - most of any pitcher in the NL. Kolten Wong is 1-for-3 with two walks versus Archer, who shut out the Cardinals over five innings in a no-decision on April 1.
Ponce de Leon permitted one run on three hits over 6 2/3 innings despite recording a no-decision in his fourth start of the season last Friday against Arizona. The 27-year-old California native struck out seven in that outing and has fanned 38 in 31 2/3 innings overall while walking 11 this year. Ponce de Leon, a former ninth-round pick, gave up two runs over five innings in a loss to Pittsburgh last season and owns a 1.02 ERA in three starts at home in 2019.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Cardinals placed 3B Matt Carpenter (foot) on the 10-day injured list and recalled INF Edmundo Sosa.
2. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle needs one victory to pass Chuck Tanner (711) for fourth on the franchise’s all-time list.
3. St. Louis OF Dexter Fowler had a double Tuesday and is 5-for-13 during his current four-game hitting streak.