Pirates Defeat Cardinals in Series Opener
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates combined both good hitting and good pitching, as they took down the St. Louis Cardinals in the series opener at PNC Park, 8-4.
The Pirates make it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2025, as they defeated the New York Yankees in the series finale on April 6, the first home series of 2025, a 5-4 walk-off in 11 innings. It is also their fourth win of the season, as they beat the Miami Marlins 4-3 on March 28 and defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-2 on April 2.
Catcher Joey Bart opened up the scoring for the Pirates in the bottom of the first inning, as he hit a pitch low and inside and sent it far over the center field wall and into the bullpen for a solo home run.
Joey Bart BLAST 💣 pic.twitter.com/Qtss1dpacA
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) April 7, 2025
Left fielder Tommy Pham got just his fourth hit of the season for the Pirates, as he led off the bottom of the second inning with a single.
Pirates right fielder Alexander Canario flew out, but first baseman Endy Rodríguez would double down the left field line, moving Pham to third base.
Shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa took the first pitch he saw in the next at-bat and singled down the line past first base, scoring both Pham and Rodríguez and putting PIttsburgh up 3-0.
Kiner-Falefa made the right decision to steal on a groundout from second baseman Adam Frazier, that avoided a double play. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes then sliced a pitch to center field, allowing Kiner-Falefa to come home and make it a 4-0 lead for the Pirates.
Right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski made his second start of the season for the Pirates.
Unlike his first start, where he allowed four runs in the fourth inning, Mlodzinski stayed strong through the second order and went five innings.
Mlodzinski still allowed a run in the fifth inning, but prevented any further offense from the Cardinals, stranding two runners and giving the Pirates a 4-1 lead. He also posted six strikeouts, the most in his career.
The Pirates got something going in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Kiner-Falefa opening up with a single, and Hayes walking with one out.
Designated hitter Andrew McCutchen then hit a ball into centerfield for a bases-clearing double, increasing the Pirates' advantage to 6-2.
Watching this swing will just never get old 🥹 pic.twitter.com/uXeHUmBnIp
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) April 8, 2025
Bart then almost had his second home run of the day, as he blasted a pitch that hit off the wall in centerfield for a triple, scoring McCutchen to make it 7-2.
The umpire crew went to a review, where they determined a fan interfered with the ball off the center field wall, but still ruled it a triple and a run scored.
Thomas Harrington made his PNC Park debut in the sixth inning, after making his MLB debut back on April 1. He allowed two home runs, but just solo shots, keeping the Pirates well in the lead and closed out the final four innings.
The Pirates will look to extend their winning streak, as they face the Cardinals for their second game of the series on April 8, with Paul Skenes starting. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.