CHRISTOPHER PANSINO – OVATHLETICS.COM
Pirates five game winning streak came to a close today as the St. Louis Cardinals routed the Bucs 9-2. The Pirates, which used great starting pitching to keep themselves ahead in games, came up short today.
Starter Brian Burres lasted just 2 and 1/3 innings. Burres was lit up for four runs, with Albert Pujols homering twice, and four extra base hits. The Pirates are 40-43 when their starters last six innings, but are 13-56 when they do not.
While neither number is impressive the Pirates are a streaky team, playing better at home than on the road, and seemed to be affected greatly by poor starts this season.
But the Cardinals would tack on more runs as the game wore onward. They stitched together an additional five runs in the flowing three innings off of the Pirates bullpen. Relievers Chan Ho Park, Sean Gallagher, and Wilfredo Ledezma were all charged with the runs that changed a 4-0 ball games into a 9-2 ballgame.
The Pirates continue their home stand with the Houston Astros starting Friday. The Bucos now must sweep the Astros in order to finish with a winning home record.
