The first three Cardinals to come to the plate, Dexter Fowler, Tommy Edman and Paul Goldschmidt, all singled, to load the bases for cleanup hitter Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna hit into a 6-4-3 double play, scoring Fowler, but leaving only Edman on third. Paul DeJong struck out to end the inning.
In the top of the second, the Pirates got even. Bell hit a leadoff double to straightaway center, followed by a very wild pitch by Dakota Hudson, that was so wild it almost worked in the Cardinals favor when it caromed off the wall behind home plate and back to catcher Matt Wieters, who barely moved and who almost Bell at third.