March 29, 2024

Pirates deck Cardinals

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mike Leake started strong and fizzled out fast.

The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander gave up all five runs in the fifth and sixth innings in a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

“Unfortunately, it’s been the name of the game so far this year,” Leake said. “I think at some point it will not happen.”

Leake (5-7) has lost his last three outings with a 6.06 ERA but manager Mike Matheny saw the positives in an up-and-down year from the team’s top free agent pickup. The previous start was strong, two earned runs allowed in seven innings against the Royals.

“I think Mike was about kind of what we hoped for — he kept us in the game and we’ve got to make plays to help him,” Matheny said. “It comes down to the fact that we didn’t get many big hits or many hits at all.”

Leake held the Pirates to two singles the first four innings before getting burned by two former Cardinals. Eighth-place hitter Eric Fryer had an RBI single in a two-run fifth that tied it and a two-run double in a three-run sixth, and David Freese had an RBI single in the sixth.

Josh Harrison also had an RBI for Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals released Fryer when backup catcher Brayan Pena came off the 15-day disabled list and the Pirates claimed him off waivers on Sunday. He batted .368 with St. Louis with five RBIs in 38 at-bats behind seven-time All-Star Yadier Molina but Pena has a two-year, $5 million contract.

The Cardinals got RBIs from Jedd Gyorko and Matt Holliday, and Randal Grichuk was a minor bright spot with a pinch-hit single in the ninth. Grichuk was recalled from Triple-A Memphis after Brandon Moss was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle.