Pirate bullpen's bid at perfection spoiled by JJ Wetherholt's homer; Dennis Santana's nightmare ninth

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Apr 27, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — For the second time in four days, the Pittsburgh Pirates were nearly perfect. This time, it didn’t even result in a win.

Four Pirates combined to retire the first 20 St. Louis Cardinals, the same number of Milwaukee Brewers that Paul Skenes retired on Friday, but Dennis Santana allowed four runs in the ninth in a 4-2 loss at PNC Park on Monday night.

The runs came on back-to-back homers from Pedro Pages and JJ Wetherholt; then a bases loaded, two-run double from Jose Fermin. Cardinals reliever George Soriano threw a scoreless ninth for the save.

Before Santana’s blowup, the Pirate bullpen had combined for 24 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to Wednesday in Texas. The Pirates also hadn’t allowed a run to the Cardinals at PNC Park since April 9, 2025, a stretch of 36 consecutive innings.

It’s also the first time the Pirates have lost on consecutive days this season. Their only two-game losing streak came in the first two games of the season, with an off day in between.

For much of the night, the planned bullpen game had been — well, perfect. Mason Montgomery and Justin Lawrence started with 1-2-3 innings, then Wilber Dotel came in and retired all 12 hitters he faced. Evan Sisk retired the next two in the seventh, but a well-placed grounder to third from Alec Burleson ended the Pirates’ bid at history.

Isaac Mattson retired the final batter in the eighth, then Gregory Soto induced a double play for a 1-2-3 eighth.

After a quick out, Santana unraveled. Pages and Wetherholt hit consecutive homers, followed by a walk, a single that rolled fair along the third base line, another walk, then Fermin’s deciding double.

The Pirates had scored two runs in the first two innings against Cardinals starter Dustin May, on RBI singles from Ryan O’Hearn and Jake Mangum, but couldn’t do more from there.

It was over when …

Fermin’s liner landed fair. It would have been tough to come back from the Cardinals tying the game, but the gut punch of perfection turned to a ninth-inning deficit was too much to overcome.

On the mound

If the Pirates had completed perfection, it would have been the 25th total perfecto and the first to use multiple pitchers.

Dotel deserves particular note, pitching four innings in just his third major league appearance. He struck out three, while his fastball was clocked at 101 mph. Few thought he was ready when he was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis after just three appearances, but he’s making the most of the opportunity so far.

At the plate

Mangum was picked off between third and home on Henry Davis’ fourth-inning infield single. Few realized how important the run could have been.

Gonzales went 3 for 4 with a second inning double, increasing his hitting streak to eight games. He singled with two outs in the ninth, but Konnor Griffin lined out to center to end it.

Most valuable player

Wetherholt, who ruined the Pirates’ night with a storybook game in the ballpark he grew up attending.

Up next

The Pirates and Cardinals continue their four-game series at 6:40 p.m. ET Tuesday. Right-hander Kyle Leahy (2-3, 5.63 ERA) will throw for St. Louis, while the Pirates have not yet announced their starter. It would be Braxton Ashcraft’s turn if he is activated from the bereavement list.

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