(TSX / STATS) — PITTSBURGH — You don’t get a do-over with spring training after you miss half a season, so Starling Marte has had to play some catch-up on the fly since returning a month ago from an 80-game suspension for testing positive performance-enhancing drugs.
“I was able to capture the velocity of the game again,” the Pittsburgh left fielder said through a translator Saturday after he went 3-for-5 with one of three Pirates homers in a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.
“I’m watching pitches a lot better. I’m beginning to pick some better pitches off the plate and reading the pitcher a lot better. So I feel a lot more confident now.”
Marte has gone 11-for-22 in his past five games after enduring a 1-for-10 stretch.
“I think it’s the point of him just catching up to speed,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I saw it start a few days ago — I mentioned to different guys in the clubhouse — in his walk and his demeanor at the plate.”
Pittsburgh starter Chad Kuhl (6-8) didn’t let a long rain delay bother him as the Pirates (59-64) broke a six-game losing streak to remain 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and four back of the Cardinals.
St. Louis (63-60), which had won two in a row and 10 of 13, dropped to 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs.
The series concludes Sunday night in Williamsport, Pa., in the MLB Little League Classic.
Pittsburgh pounded out 12 hits and rode a five-run second inning.
With both clubs reluctant to go to the bullpen early, both starters remained in the game after a rain delay of 1:56 in the top of the second — with distinctly different results.
St. Louis right-hander Michael Wacha (9-6) got rocked after he pitched a perfect first and was out of the game after four innings. He gave up five runs and seven hits, including two homers, with three strikeouts and two walks. It was not only his second loss in a row but also only his second career loss in August.
Wacha stayed loose during the delay, throwing about every 15 minutes.
“Michael’s been through that before. He’s tough,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “He just couldn’t find a real good feel for his stuff after (the delay).”
Kuhl retired 11 of the 13 batters he faced after the delay, with only one hit. Overall, he gave up one run and three hits with six strikeouts and one walk in five innings.
“I had all the confidence in the world that I was going to be back out there, and never really was a question in my mind with the state of our bullpen not being so rested,” said Kuhl, who had been 0-2 in four career starts against the Cardinals.
“I was 100 percent. No matter how long it took, I was ready.”
Felipe Rivero gave up a run in the ninth but picked up his 13th save.
As the rain started before the delay, the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead against Kuhl in the second. Jose Martinez led off with a double to the right-field corner and scored on Kolten Wong’s single to right.
Pittsburgh responded with a five-run second that included two-run homers by Adam Frazier and Marte and a run on Sean Rodriguez’s double-play grounder. Kuhl doubled and scored in the inning, which ended with a 5-1 lead.
Marte’s homer was his third of the season and first since April 15, before his suspension.
Jose Osuna hit his first career pinch-hit homer, a shot to right that was his sixth overall this season, to extend the Pirates’ lead to 6-1 leading off the sixth.
St. Louis’ Paul DeJong hit his 20th homer, a two-out, two-run shot to center, to close the Cardinals to 6-3 in the eighth, and Martinez blasted a homer to center off Rivero to lead off the ninth for the final score.
“I put us within striking distance, and Jose put us a little closer,” said DeJong, whose 20 homers have come in just 70 games after he began the season with Triple-A Memphis. “You can’t give away at-bats, late in a game, down by five runs, rain delay, all those factors. You’ve just got to try to help the team win every time.
“We didn’t give up, even in the ninth. I think that’s just a testament to how we’re playing lately. It didn’t go our way early, but it’s over. We’ve got to win the series (Sunday).”
NOTES: St. Louis CF Dexter Fowler was out of the starting lineup because of back discomfort. … St. Louis RHP Josh Lucas’ contract was purchased from Triple-A Memphis. He made his major league debut, giving up a run on four hits in two innings. … St. Louis RHP Mike Mayers was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. … Pittsburgh RHP Dovydas Neverauskas was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and pitched a perfect inning. … Pittsburgh LHP Steven Brault was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Photo credit – Chad Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette / Pittsburgh, PA
