Pirates Offense Sputters Again vs Cardinals

St. Louis pitchers stifled the Pirates, holding them to four singles with no extra-base hits. Pittsburgh struck out 11 times on the night, continuing a strikeout rate that has ranked among the worst in baseball since the All-Star break.

Cardinals left-handed starting pitcher Quinn Matthews allowed just one run and posted seven strikeouts over five and 2/3 innings, retiring the first nine hitters in a row to start the game.

The Pirates' struggles against left-handed starters continued, as they fell to 13-30 against southpaws this season and 5-13 following the All-Star break.

A potential rally for the Pirates in the eighth inning came undone by bad luck on the base paths.

Oneil Cruz hit a line drive that struck teammate Bryan Reynolds, who was running on first base. The ball barely nicked off Reynolds' ankle, calling him out, ending the threat and extinguishing any hopes of a comeback.

Starting pitcher Jared Jones delivered a solid bounce-back outing for the Pirates, working four and 2/3 innings, but didn't get the offensive support needed against the Cardinals

He allowed seven hits and three earned runs while striking out six and walking one. The right-hander, in his first season back from elbow surgery, dropped to 2-6 in 2026 and his ERA rose to 4.83.

Post-Break Frustrations for the Pirates

This continues a precipitous drop-off from the first half of the season, when the Pirates boasted one of the most potent offenses and led MLB in runs.

The loss marks the latest chapter in a frustrating post-All-Star break story for the Pirates. Entering the game, Pittsburgh ranked near the bottom of the majors in almost every significant offensive category in the second half.

The Pirates entered the game with a .172 team batting average over the last week, also the worst in MLB, highlighting their inability to put runners on base.

They have been shut out 15 times this season, with seven of those blankings coming after the Midsummer Classic.

The Pirates have lost seven of their last eight series and are fading fast in the NL Wild Card race, and they haven't shown they can sustain the necessary winning to make the playoffs.

Pittsburgh is putting itself in a position where it will need an historic winning streak in September to keep playing in October.

They'll have another chance to gain ground in the NL Wild Card race tomorrow against the Cardinals. But now 7.5 games back, their hopes are fading fast.