ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals had their full complement of late-game relievers to cement a victory with a score that should not have been that close in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Pittsburgh.
How they got to there proved just as valuable.
Rookie Matthew Liberatore, up from Class AAA Memphis for a one-game engagement, pitched five superb and scoreless innings to steer the Cardinals toward a 3-1 victory Tuesday afternoon at Busch Stadium. The line echoed Liberatore’s previous top start — five scoreless innings against Milwaukee — but within it there were clear signs of improvement. The lefty struck out five, got consistent swings and misses on three different pitches, and he remained efficient. He carried the lead to the bullpen by getting 15 outs on 79 pitches.
A leadoff single in the fifth inning invited the Cardinals to consider stopping Liberatore’s outing short of qualifying for the win, but the rookie maintained his hold on the game. Promoted to the majors as the Cardinals’ 27th man for the doubleheader, Liberatore will return to Triple-A’s rotation, but be on retainer for the inevitable opening for a starter in coming weeks.
The first-place Cardinals got two runs from Paul Goldschmidt’s homer and another run from a curious rundown in the third inning, and the opening was there for much, much. The Pirates committed four errors in the game. Edmundo Sosa reached base three times on errors. And yet there Giovanny Gallegos was in the ninth facing the tying run at the plate before getting the final out for his ninth save.
