09/22/26 08:17:00
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09/22 20:16 CDT Jones takes perfect game into the 6th, Pirates top Cardinals
2-0 for 5th straight win
Jones takes perfect game into the 6th, Pirates top Cardinals 2-0 for 5th
straight win
By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) --- Jared Jones allowed one hit over seven dominant innings and
the Pittsburgh Pirates inched closer to the franchise's first winning season in
eight years with a 2-0 win over St. Louis on Tuesday night.
The hard-throwing Jones (5-6) retired the first 16 batters he faced before
Nathan Church's bloop landed just beyond the outstretched glove of Pirates
third baseman Jacob Gonzalez with one out in the sixth. Church sprinted to
second for a double but remained there after Masyn Wynn lined out and J.J.
Wetherholt struck out to end the inning.
Jones, who returned from Tommy John surgery in late May, tied a season high
with nine strikeouts in seven innings and improved to 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in
four starts in September. Gregory Soto worked around a leadoff walk to record
his 16th save.
Ryan O'Hearn delivered an RBI-single for the Pirates and rookie shortstop
Konnor Griffin had two hits for Pittsburgh, and Bryan Reynolds added his major
league-leading 40th double. The Pirates have won five straight to improve to
80-77 with five games remaining. Pittsburgh is seeking its first winning
campaign since going 82-79 in 2018.
Andre Pallant (12-8) nearly matched Jones pitch for pitch in six innings of
work. The right-hander's only hiccup came in the sixth, when Oneil Cruz walked
with one out, moved to second on a fielder's choice and scored on O'Hearn's
sharp single to left. Pallant is just 2-2 in 10 starts since the All-Star break
despite pitching to a 3.00 ERA over that span.
The Cardinals fell to 76-81 with the loss. If St. Louis doesn't win out, the
franchise will experience consecutive losing seasons for the first time since
1958 and 1959, the second-longest stretch between consecutive losing years in
the history of major North American professional sports.
Up next
The series continues on Wednesday. Matthew Liberatore (5-14, 5.36 ERA) gets the
start for the Cardinals. The Pirates have yet to announce a starter in what is
likely a bullpen game.
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