Homers from Esmerlyn Valdez, Jared Triolo lead Pirates to a series win against Cardinals

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Aug 30, 2026

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ST. LOUIS — The Pittsburgh Pirates earned a series win on Sunday in St. Louis. A gift and a short corner helped them do so.

The Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 at Busch Stadium, taking two of three in the series. Esmerlyn Valdez’s homer in the second inning — landing in the corner seats just fair of the right-field foul pole — and a St. Louis error in the third inning proved to be the difference.

The Pirates have won four of their last five series. Because the lone series loss was a sweep, they’re just 8-7 in that span.

Valdez started the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning, one that landed just inside the right field foul pole. The blast, Valdez’s second since July 27, scored Brandon Lowe from second.

The Pirates were gifted a run in the third. Oneil Cruz, who went 1 for 3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored, doubled then ran hard from second as Lowe hit a routine popup to third. Cardinals third baseman Ramon Urias had it bounce out of his glove, and Cruz was home by the time the ball hit the ground.

Jared Triolo homered in the fifth against Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore. The homer, just Triolo’s third, was a no-doubter into Big Mac Land, the Busch Stadium third deck named in part for Mark McGwire.

But the Cardinals chipped away at the lead. Braxton Ashcraft had largely cruised through the first four innings, but ran into trouble with two outs in the fifth. Thomas Saggese started it with a single, part of a 3 for 4 day with two runs scored, starting a run of three singles and a walk for two St. Louis runs. Ashcraft got out of it, but was pulled after the inning with just 71 pitches.

Camilo Doval was brought in to protect a 5-2 lead in the seventh, but allowed two runs by walking two and allowing two hits, including an Ivan Herrera double. With the tying run on third and the go-ahead run at second, Doval struck out Jordan Walker before Yohan Ramirez recorded the final out.

It was over when …

… Luke Weaver stranded a leadoff single in the eighth. He had been hit hard in the second day of his only other Pirates back-to-back, a consequence of a sporadic pitching schedule, but retired the final three he faced after Jose Fermin’s single.

Mason Montgomery, also pitching on consecutive days, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save.

On the mound

Ashcraft allowed six hits and a walk, but three of those hits and the walk came in the jam in the fifth inning.

He ended August with a 2.13 ERA, with four walks to 29 strikeouts in 38 innings. The Pirates went 12-15 in the month, but won five of six Ashcraft starts.

At the plate

The Pirates did well against a lefty, even if Liberatore entered with a 5.44 ERA. He struck out nine, but allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, including the two homers.

The winning run came in the seventh as Cardinals right-hander Luis Gastelum lost command. Gastelum walked two, then allowed the two-out single to Lowe that proved to be the difference.

Bryan Reynolds went 2 for 5 with two singles. He did not homer in August despite playing every game, just the second time in his career he’s played a full month without homering (July 2025).

Bucs bites

— Before the game, the Cardinals placed Mars native JJ Wetherholt on the 10-day injured list with right wrist tendonitis.

— On his weekly radio show, general manager Ben Cherington said the Pirates have not yet made a decision on where Konnor Griffin will continue his rehab assignment next week. Both Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis are on the road next week, at Harrisburg and Toledo respectively.

Griffin, who will make his first rehab appearance at Altoona on Sunday night, is not eligible for a major league return until Friday.

— Additionally, Cherington said Ryan O’Hearn is doing well and could begin a rehab in the next 10 days. O’Hearn is tracking toward a mid-September return.

Up next

The Pirates return home for an off day on Monday before beginning a six-game homestand on Tuesday. They’ll start with three games against the San Francisco Giants, with the first matchup pitting Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.79 ERA) against Giants ace Logan Webb (8-8, 3.72).

____