PITTSBURGH — It's not unusual for Jack Flaherty to go out and strike out 11 batters, but the last time a Pirates pitcher did it was May 2019.
That is, until Sunday.
And it was only the sixth inning.
The Cardinals' offense has vanished in the early innings for the second time in as many days, and Pirates starter Joe Musgrove tied a career-high with nine strikeouts. He had that by the end of the fifth inning. He added two more in the sixth as pitched the Pirates through the first 2/3 of the game with a 1-0 lead.