Pittsburgh Pirates series takeaways vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Aug 12, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Gerrfit Cole (45) throws the ball against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Game Two: Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.39ERA) vs. Michael Wacha (13-4, 2.92ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 4-2

Winning Pitcher: Michael Wacha (14-4, 2.93ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Gerrit Cole (14-6, 2.48ERA)

Save: Trevor Rosenthal (35, 1.51ERA)

• What went right:
  • Gregory Polanco keeps hitting as he went 3-4 with a run scored.
  • Andrew McCutchen made up for his 0-4 performance in game one as he went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
  • Jung-ho Kang reached base three times as he went 2-3 with a walk.
  • Pedro Alvarez collected another hit against the Cardinals as he went 1-4 on the night.

• What went wrong:
  • Gerrit Cole once again did not have his best stuff. He was able to battle, but only lasted 5.1 innings, allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and struck out six.
  • Michael Wacha had a very solid performance for the Cardinals. He went six inning, allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out seven.
  • Pirates went 0-10 with runners in scoring position.
  • Neil Walker did not have a strong game. He went 0-4 and left five men on base.

The Pirates unfortunately lost the series but looked to avoid the sweep with another a lefty on the mound on National Left Handed Day.

Next: Game Three: Liriano vs Lynn