Pirates commit three consecutive errors, but beat Cardinals anyway

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Aug 29, 2026

Published in Baseball

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ST. LOUIS — The Pittsburgh Pirates won on Saturday, beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-2, at Busch Stadium.

They got the big hit they’d been searching for all trip, a two-out, two-strike, three-run homer from Rafael Flores. In a bullpen game, the pitchers combined to allow just two hits. It was a win, after all.

But three errors — on three consecutive plays in the seventh inning — plus a baserunning mistake and 13 strikeouts at the plate make the victory a little less satisfying.

The game started well for the Pirates. Brandon Lowe snapped an 0 for 14 skid with a first-inning homer against Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy.

Lake Bachar, who started for the Pirates, retired the first seven batters he faced before allowing a Joshua Baez homer.

The game threatened to be derailed in the third. Evan Sisk came in to relieve Bachar and walked two batters and hit another, loading the bases with two outs for Home Run Derby champ Jordan Walker. Don Kelly summoned Carmen Mlodzinski midway through an inning for the first time all season, and Mlodzinski got Walker to fly out on the first pitch he threw.

The Pirates’ offense broke through from there. Jake Mangum singled and advanced to third when the ball went under Baez’s glove in left, scoring on a one-out single from Jacob Gonzalez. Mangum, who had entered 0 for his last 16, went 2 for 4 with two singles. Gonzalez was 0 for his last 14.

And against rookie lefty Brycen Mautz, Flores Jr. had his big swing. He, too, had been in an 0 for 10 slump.

But the sixth inning didn’t go to plan. With one out and Mlodzinski pitching, Jordan Walker hit a grounder through Gonzalez’s legs at shortstop for an error. The next batter hit a double play ball toward Gonzalez at the second base bag, only for Gonzalez to boot it. And Jose Fermin hit a routine fly ball at Oneil Cruz, but Cruz, trying to gather momentum for a throw to third, whiffed on the catch and let it go over his head.

Mlodzinski induced consecutive popouts, allowing just the one unearned run.

It was over when …

Nick Gonzales added an RBI double in the ninth for an insurance run.

On the mound

The Pirates allowed just three hits. The Cardinals left seven on base.

Gregory Soto stranded a leadoff double in the seventh, then Luke Weaver pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. Mason Montgomery, entering in a non-save situation after Gonzales’ two-out RBI, pitched a clean ninth.

At the plate

The Pirates had 10 hits, including the two blasts. They went 4 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

The Pirates hadn’t scored more than four runs on the road trip, last scoring five runs on Aug. 17.

Bucs bites

— Prior to the game, Don Kelly announced that Konnor Griffin would begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Altoona on Sunday. Griffin is eligible to come off the 60-day IL on Friday.

— The Pirates are now tied for a majors-high 90 errors.

Up next

The Pirates finish their nine-game road trip at 2:15 p.m. ET Sunday. Braxton Ashcraft (13-5, 3.59 ERA) will look to cap a strong August against Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore (5-12, 5.44).

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