Pirates Edge Cardinals in Tight 2-1 Victory, Securing Series Opener at PNC Park

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals faced off in a closely contested battle at PNC Park, with the Pirates emerging victorious with a final score of 2-1. This win brings the Pirates' record to 51-49, while the Cardinals now stand at 52-48.

The game was characterized by strong pitching performances on both sides, but it was the Pirates who managed to capitalize on their opportunities. The home team tallied eight hits over nine innings compared to seven by the Cardinals. Notably, both teams maintained error-free defense throughout the game.

Mitch Keller started for the Pirates and delivered an impressive performance from the mound, holding a 1.286 ERA across seven innings pitched and striking out three batters while only allowing one earned run. The bullpen also played a crucial role in preserving the lead, highlighted by Aroldis Chapman's flawless inning that contributed to his season's ERA remaining at 0.0.

Offensively, Jack Suwinski stood out for Pittsburgh with an impressive batting average of .500 and an on-base percentage of .667 after two at-bats. Ryan Tellez also made significant contributions with a batting average of .500 and slugging percentage of .750 in his appearances at bat.

On the other side, despite their efforts, St. Louis could only muster one run during their strongest inning—the fifth—where they recorded two hits but failed to capitalize further due to Pittsburgh's tight defense and strategic pitching changes.

Looking ahead, fans can catch more action as The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to host The St. Louis Cardinals once again at PNC Park located in Pittsburgh PA (15212), USA; this time for what promises another exciting matchup scheduled for July 23rd at 6:40 PM EDT which will be broadcasted on SportsNet PT.