ST. LOUIS — The chants of “YA-DI! YA-DI! YA-DI!” were punctuated by the sharp crack of his bat. Yadier Molina, the veteran catcher scratched from the previous two games because of a sore knee, sent an RBI single to right off reliever Juan Nicasio. The swing sparked a four-run seventh inning Sunday and spoiled the Pirates’ shot at their first sweep in St. Louis in 20 years.
The Pirates were searching for their first three-game road sweep of the Cardinals since May 27-29, 1991, when Molina was 8 years old and the St. Louis ballpark was Busch Stadium II, not III.