PITTSBURGH — Tuesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 8, Pirates 7 (10 innings)
What the Cardinals wanted Tuesday night was for closer Ryan Helsley to pitch one inning, then get two days of rest to be ready for the start of the wild-card series on Friday night.
What they didn’t want was to see Helsley have to come out of the game after facing just one batter because of an injury.
Helsley injured a finger on his throwing hand while fielding a ball hit back to him. He took two practice throws before the decision was made to take him out of the game, a move that was described as precautionary.
More will be known about Helsley’s status and availability for Friday night’s game in the next two days.
The Cardinals had rallied from a four-run deficit to tie the game in the seventh, then won it in the 10th on a base hit by Juan Yepez.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: Albert Pujols drove in two more runs with a single in the Cardinals’ three-run third. He came out of the game after two at-bats … The biggest hit in the four-run seventh came from pinch-hitter Corey Dickerson, who drove in two runs with a double. Brendan Donovan and Paul Goldschmidt also had RBIs for the Cardinals, with Goldschmidt raising his season total to 115. In the 10th, Yepez’s one-out single drove in the automatic runner, Ben DeLuzio, from second.
On the mound: It was a rough start for Dakota Hudson, who gave up six runs in the third inning, knocking him out of the game. Andre Pallante was the first of six relievers who combined to shut out the Pirates over the final 7 1/3 innings. Jack Flaherty got in an inning of work in preparation for the weekend series. He allowed one hit and recorded one strikeout. Chris Stratton worked the final two innings to get the victory.
Key stat: Pujols had his fourth consecutive game with two RBIs. It’s the fifth time in his career he has had a streak with multiple RBIs in four consecutive games, the first time he has done it since 2012.
Worth noting: It is appearing increasingly unlikely that Tyler O’Neill will be on the roster for the wild-card series. Nolan Arenado did not play for the second game in a row after complaining Monday of tightness in his thigh. That decision was also said to be precautionary. Tommy Edman has not played in the last three games, getting rest before the playoffs.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will play the final game of the regular season on Wednesday. They have not listed a starting pitcher for the game.
