Keller, Polanco spark Pirates to 4-0 win over Cardinals

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mitch Keller struck out six over five solid innings, Gregory Polanco drove in two runs and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 Friday night.

Pinch-hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo hit his first homer with Pittsburgh in the ninth.

Keller (4-10) walked one and worked around six hits in picking up his first victory since May 29. He had allowed 10 earned runs across 14 1/3 innings in his previous three starts since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Three relievers covered the final four innings to preserve the shutout.

Rookie Lars Nootbaar had three singles to lead St. Louis’ 10-hit attack. The Cardinals stranded 12.

St. Louis entered the day 3 1/2 games behind San Diego for the second NL wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh recorded just four hits but snapped a five-game skid. The Pirates had lost 13 of 14 before the victory.

The Pirates broke through with two runs in the fourth after Colin Moran led off with a single of Miles Mikolas (0-1). Moran has hit safely in each of his last 15 games at Busch Stadium.

Jacob Stallings hit a line drive single to center that skipped past Harrison Bader and rolled to the wall for a two-base error. A sacrifice fly by Polanco scored Stallings. Both runs were unearned.

Pittsburgh went ahead 3-0 in the sixth when Polanco’s sacrifice fly to center off Andrew Miller scored Bryan Reynolds, who led off with a double.

Mikolas, who was activated Friday after he completed a five-game injury rehabilitation assignment, threw 84 pitches over five innings in his second start of 2021. He allowed two hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

His previous start for the Cardinals this season came on May 22. That was his first with St. Louis since the 2019 NLCS after a flexor tendon injury sidelined him in 2020 and forearm...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Keller-Polanco-spark-Pirates-to-4-0-win-over-16402154.php