Willson Contreras had two hits including a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to help the host St. Louis Cardinals come back to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Monday night.
Contreras’ fifth home run of the season came off Pirates reliever Chase Shugart (1-2), who allowed all four of the Cardinals’ runs in the sixth without recording an out. Jose Barrero finished with two hits and three RBI and drove in the last two runs of that inning on a ground-rule double down the left field line with the bases loaded. Pedro Pages also had two hits.
The Cardinals picked up their third consecutive victory while the Pirates lost their fifth in a row – their longest losing skid of this season.
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas threw 84 pitches in five innings and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one.
Starting with right-hander Gordon Graceffo (2-0), who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Monday, four Cardinals relievers combined to allow three hits over four shutout innings. Ryan Helsley gave up two of those hits in the ninth but picked up his sixth save when he struck out Bryan Reynolds with runners at the corners.
Oneil Cruz singled and Reynolds followed with his fifth home run — a two-run blast off Mikolas to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead after only two at-bats to open the game.
St. Louis answered with two in the third on a pair of solo home runs by Barrero and Alec Burleson off Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski, who exited after 4 2/3 innings following his second turn through the Cardinals’ lineup. Mlodzinski allowed two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out two.
Pittsburgh retook the lead 3-2 in the fourth on Adam Frazier’s single which scored Joey Bart, who had walked and moved to second on Enmanuel Valdez’s single.
Frazier, Cruz and Valdez each had two hits to lead the Pirates offensively.
After calling up Graceffo, St. Louis optioned right-hander Michael McGreevy to Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals also returned right-hander Roddery Munoz to Triple-A after he served as the 27th player in Sunday’s doubleheader against the New York Mets.
