ST. LOUIS — Andrew McCutchen doesn't agree with the idea of distilling the celebration of Jackie Robinson down into one day. For McCutchen, it's something he tries to do every day he takes the field, by the way he plays the game and carries himself.
Then again, McCutchen also isn't above having a little fun, especially when it comes to helping the Pirates to a series-shifting victory against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
In extra innings for the first time this season, McCutchen's two-run homer in the 10th inning proved to be the difference in a 6-3 Pirates victory on Jackie Robinson Day.
McCutchen started out with a 3-0 advantage against Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks before taking two sliders and fouling a third one off. Hicks threw McCutchen a seventh slider, this time middle-up, and McCutchen put a solid swing on it, driving it over the fence in left.
It was the second home run of the season for McCutchen, who has been everything the Pirates could have hoped for in his return and more. After starting off 2 for 11 in his first five games, McCutchen began Saturday’s contest 10 for 27 over his last eight.
After McCutchen’s homer, the Pirates (9-6) then got a little breathing room when Connor Joe tripled and scored on a single from Rodolfo Castro, who continued his recent hot stretch with a three-hit performance.
After a slow start to the season, Castro has gotten hot. He reached base safely twice in four plate appearances Friday and began Saturday’s game 7 for his past 15 (.467) with a double, home run and 1.370 OPS over his previous six.
Joe (2 hits) also singled with two outs in the eighth and scored when Castro fought off a 100-mph fastball from Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley, dropping it into the opposite field in left to create a 3-3 tie.
The run erased what was a brief Cardinals lead thanks to a seventh-inning, bases-loaded walk drawn by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, the rare time he didn’t use his bat to torture the Pirates.
Since joining the Cardinals in 2019, Goldschmidt is tied for the most home runs (14) and has the most RBIs (now 50) against the Pirates of any major league hitter. Among active players, only two players had a higher OPS against the Pirates than Goldschmidt (.984) entering Saturday’s game.
Yet here, all he had to do was watch an outside slider, take his walk and jog to first base.
With the teams tied at 2 through 6 1/2 innings, manager Derek Shelton went with Rob Zastryzny to open the home half of the seventh. Zastryzny, who did not allow an earned run all spring and has really been a pleasant surprise in the Pirates bullpen, struggled with his control.
He walked the leadoff man, center fielder Lars Nootbaar, and gave up a single to shortstop Tommy Edman. Catcher Andrew Knizner bunted them over. Zastryzny also walked first baseman Brendan Donovan before exiting the game.
When Stephenson got pinch-hitter Dylan Carlson looking on a terrific slider, it looked like he might escape trouble. However, the walk to Goldschmidt pushed the Cardinals in front 3-2.
ON THE MOUND
After what Contreras did his last time out — seven earned runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings Tuesday against Houston — he had to enjoy this rebound. Most impressive was how Contreras finished, closing with strikeouts of third baseman Nolan Arenado, second baseman Nolan Gorman and right fielder Jordan Walker to bring his total to six for the afternoon.
Five of those came via Contreras’ slider, which was very good.
Furthermore, Contreras continued the trend of Pirates pitchers delivering quality starts. With six innings of two-run ball, Contreras gave the Pirates their fifth consecutive game with at least six innings out of the starter. That group has a 2.03 ERA during the run.
The Cardinals came out of the gates swinging and scored two runs in the first against Contreras. Donovan doubled and came home when left fielder Alec Burleson hooked a Contreras curveball into right field for a book-rule double. Burleson scored on Gorman's sacrifice fly three batters later.
Contreras escaped the first by freezing right fielder Jordan Walker on a slider. Carlos Santana turned a double play for two key outs in the second, then took one off the chest an inning later. In the fifth, Ke’Bryan Hayes snared a line drive from Goldschmidt, then cooly stepped on third base for the double play.
AT THE PLATE
It was a horrible pitch from Cardinals starter Steven Matz, but Hayes also crushed the ball he hit in the first inning. Ahead 1-2, Matz left a curveball up and Hayes made him pay, collecting the first leadoff homer of his career and the first for the Pirates since Ben Gamel did it on May 13, 2022.
Hayes’ homer traveled 440 feet at 108.2 mph, which represents the longest home run of his career.
The second run the Pirates scored off Matz was considerably more tame. Matz grew erratic in the third inning and issued three walks in a five-batter stretch. The last one, to Joe, seemed to really rattle Matz, who believed he caught the corner with a change-up.
Home-plate umpire Will Little did not agree, and the bases-loaded walk created a 2-2 tie.
UP NEXT
It will be Mitch Keller on Sunday. He has generally fared well against the Cardinals, going 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in eight starts.
