Pittsburgh Pirates series review vs St. Louis Cardinals

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game One: J.A. Happ (6-2, 2.28ERA) vs. Lance Lynn (12-10, 3.16ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 3-0

Winning Pitcher: Jonathan Broxton (4-5, 4.53ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Mark Melancon (3-2, 2.29ERA)

Save: Trevor Rosenthal 48, 2.10ERA)

• What went right:
  • J.A. Happ had another outstanding start that only ended because of the lack of offense. He went six innings, allowed zero runs on one hit and struck out four.
  • Gregory Polanco had two hits.
  • Andrew McCutchen reached base three times. He had a hit and walked twice.
  • The Pirates walked 10 times as a team

• What went wrong:
  • The Pirates went 0-12 with runners in scoring position and loaded the bases four different times and couldn’t scratch across one run. They left 16 men on base for the game.
  • Gregory Polanco committed an error that allowed the go-ahead run to score and was thrown out trying to take third on a grounder to the short stop.
  • Mark Reynolds homered against the Pirates again, putting the game away with a two-run shot in the ninth inning.
  • The lack of offense made sure the J.A. Happ couldnt pitch deep into the game despite pitching extremely well.

The biggest series in PNC Park history started with a frustrating whimper. The Pirates could never get the big hit despite loading the bases and leaving a small village on the base paths. The also ran the bases poorly and played bad defense. They out played the Cardinals, but lost the game. They looked to rebound with by sending an ace to the mound.

Next: Game Two: Cole vs. Wacha