Pittsburgh Pirates series takeaways vs. St. Louis Cardinals

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Aug 12, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pinch hitter Michael Mofrse (31) walks off the field after making the final out of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates played three straight nationally televised games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and won all three. The Pirates stretch of playing playoff contenders started very well as they went 4-1 in their first five games. Splitting a rain shortened two game series against the Cubs and sweeping the Dodgers back to LA.

The Pirate then turned their attention to the St. Louis Cardinals for a three game road series. Nothing can be decided in August, but any time the two best teams in the National League square off, it’s always a big deal. The Pirates entered the series five games out of first place in the NL Central and were looking to gain ground on their arch-rival.

The Pirates looked to Jeff Locke to kick off the series and finally win a game in Busch Stadium.

Next: Game One: Jeff Locke vs. Carlos Martinez

Aug 11, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jeff Locfke (49) throws to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Game One: Jeff Locke (6-6, 4.31ERA) vs. Carolos Martinez (11-4, 2.57ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 4-3

Winning Pitcher: Carlos Martinez (12-4, 2.62ERA

Losing Pitcher: Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.43ERA)

Save: Trevor Rosenthal (34, 1.54ERA)

What went right:
- Gregory Polanco just keep hitting and growing before our eyes as he went 3-4 with a run scored.
- Jung-ho Kang started the game the right way with a first inning RBI. He went 1-4 on the night.
- Pedro Alvarez continued to be a Cardinal killer as he went 2-4 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored.
- Starling Marte also had a multi-hit game as he went 2-4 with a run scored.

What went wrong:
- Jeff Locke once again let the game get away from him early as he only lasted five innings and gave up four runs on seven hits.
- Once Carlos Martinez settled down, he completely shut down the Pirates as he went eight innings, allowed three runs on nine hits and struck out eight.
- Kolten Wong was once again a Pirate-killer as he went 2-4 with two runs scored.
- Jason Heyward was the biggest difference in the game as he went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

The Pirates let a game get away from them as they lost a game they probably should have won. They looked to rebound with their ace on the mound.

Next: Game Two: Cole vs Wacha

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

Aug 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates teammates celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Game Three: Francisco Liriano (7-6, 3.13ERA) vs. Lance Lynn (9-6, 2.76ERA)

Result: Pirates win 10-5

Winning Pitcher: Francisco Liriano (8-6, 3.19ERA

Losing Pitcher: Lance Lynn (9-7, 2.95ERA)

What went right:
- The offense exploded in the first inning for seven runs on seven hits and chased Lance Lynn after 0.2 innings.
- Neil Walker was awesome as he went 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
- Pedro Alvarez continues to be the biggest Cardinal-killer on the Pirates as he went 3-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored.
- Tony Watson kept the game from getting away from the Pirates as he did his job for 1.2 scoreless innings.

What went wrong:
- The Pirates let the game get way too interesting as they didn’t score from the first inning until the ninth inning and the Cardinals were within two run.
- Joakim Soria had his first really bad outing as a Pirate as he lasted 0.1 inning, allowed two runs on three hits.
- Yadier Molina was big for the Cardinals as usual. He went 1-2 with a walk and three RBI.
- Tyler Lyons really settled the game down and kept the Pirates in check as he went 5.1 innings, allowed zero runs on three hits and struck out two.

Next: Final Thoughts

Aug 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvfarez (24) celebrates with Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kfang (27) and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cerfvelli (29) after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning off of St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (not pictured) at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

This series did not go according to plan for the Pirates, as they lost two of three to the Cardinals, but after losing the first two games of the series, it felt really good to walk away with at least one win. Plus now you thankfully only lose one game in the standings compared to three if the Cardinals had swept the Pirates.

The important thing to remember is the Pirates are a very good team. Two bad games in a row does not reveal that they’re some terrible team masquerading as a good one. They are legitimately one of the best teams in all of baseball. The Pirates have flaws like every other team in the league. The only reason the Pirates’ flaws seem more apparent is because you watch them everyday, so you notice the cracks. However, ask any fan of any contending team and they will tell you everything wrong with their team and likely with the same venom as Pirates’ fans. Just remember the next time the Pirates lose two games in a row, that you don’t get to 20 games over .500 by accident and the Pirates are tremendous baseball team.

The Pirates will now turn their attention to another first place team as they travel to New York to take on the surging Mets. The Pirates have done remarkably well against the National League East and will look to continue that success. The Pirates will thankfully miss Noah Syndergaard and Jake Degrom in the series, which you would assume benefits the Pirates. However, the Pirates cannot overlook the mets as they are also a very good team. Regardless of pitching match-ups, it is still two of the best teams in the NL battling and that is always thrilling

Series Result: Pirates lose 2-1

2015 win/loss record: 66-46

2015 series record: 18-13-5

Next: Pittsburgh Pirates base running: Narrative vs. Numbers

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