PITTSBURGH — After three consecutive innings the Cardinals left the bases clogged with missed opportunities and during their one-inning meltdown, a couple of stolen bases flipped the math and added up to disaster.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, seeing their cagey approach all game run free toward an endgame, had runners at first and second base after a walk from Cardinals reliever Andre Pallante. On Pallante’s next pitch, the Pirates took off and stole two bases to get two runners into scoring position. Pittsburgh found the frayed thread they could pull to unravel the Cardinals.
A pitching change immediately followed.