Pittsburgh Pirates series takeaways vs. St Louis Cardinals

Jul 9, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jeff Locke (49) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game One: Jeff Locke (5-4, 4.15ERA) vs. Carlos Martinez (9-3, 2.70ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 4-1

Winning Pitcher: Carlos Martinez (10-3, 2.52ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Jeff Locke (5-5, 4.03ERA)

Save: Trevor Rosenthal (26, 0.67ERA)

• What went right:
  • Andrew McCutchen kept his hitting streak alive with a ninth inning home run. He went 1-4 on the night.
  • Vance Worley pitched three very quality innings in relief of Locke.
  • Gregory Polanco reached base twice as he went 1-3 with a walk.
  • Arquimedes Caminero pitched a scoreless inning in relief and struck out two Cardinals.

• What went wrong:
  • Carlos Martinez was awesome for the Cardinals. He went 7.1 innings, allowed zero runs on four hits and struck out eight.
  • Matt Carpenter continued to be a Pirates killer. He went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
  • Yadier Molina also played a huge role in the game’s outcome. Going 2-4 with two RBI.
  • Jeff Locke did not pitch very well. Going only five innings, allowing four runs on five hits and walking three.

We continue on – as the Big Three take their turns against the Cards, starting with the MLB leader in wins.

Next: Gerrit Cole vs Lance Lynn