Cardinals edge Pirates in 9th, 4-3
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Pinch-hitter John Rodriguez’ ninth-inning single off Salomon Torres gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night, reducing their magic number for clinching the NL Central to four. St. Louis was outhit 11-6 but improved to 11-3 this season against the last-place Pirates. The Cardinals have won 18 of their last 21 games overall.
Skip Schumacher doubled off Torres (4-5) to start the ninth and advanced on a sacrifice. Abraham Nunez was intentionally walked, and Rodriguez followed with a drive over left fielder Jason Bay, who was playing in.
Jason Isringhausen (1-1) worked a perfect ninth.
Ty Wigginton and Brad Eldred each had three hits and an RBI for the Pirates, who have lost 14 of 17. Starter Mark Redman left after five innings with a broken tip of his left finger.
Albert Pujols’ pinch-hit RBI single off Jose Mesa broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh, the Pirates’ sixth blown save in 14 games. Pujols, whose hit followed a sacrifice fly by Hector Luna, did not start because of a sore upper right leg.
The Pirates tied it in the eighth with the help of a questionable decision by reliever Ray King. With runners on first and third and none out, King fielded Rob Mackowiak’s comebacker and had an easy play at the plate but threw to first instead. Wigginton crossed the plate well ahead of the relay.
Pittsburgh scored only two runs off Mark Mulder the first four innings despite accumulating seven hits, two hit batters and a walk, with the 6-7-8 batters going 5-for-5 with two RBIs. Mulder gave up two runs and nine hits in seven innings.
Redman, winless in nine starts since July 24, allowed one run and two hits in five innings, with Wigginton and Mackowiak driving in a run apiece. Redman threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the fourth.
St. Louis shortstop David Eckstein saved a run with perhaps his best throw of the season, a relay to the plate that cut down Wigginton trying to score from first on Eldred’s double with no outs in the fourth. Wigginton barreled into catcher Yadier Molina in an unsuccessful attempt to jar the ball loose.
Right fielder So Taguchi made a sliding catch to rob Wigginton and end the fifth.
NOTES: The Pirates have 27 active players, only two above the pre-Sept. 1 limit, because Triple-A Indianapolis is in the International League championship series. … Pirates CF Nate McLouth left with a bruised elbow after four innings.