Amidst rain, Pirates pour on 8-run 7th in win

PITTSBURGH -- When it rains, it pours.

As a light drizzle began to fall on PNC Park on Thursday night, the Pirates struck for eight runs on eight hits in the seventh inning, propelling a come-from-behind 11-7 win over the Cardinals in the series opener.

Despite being one of the worst offensive teams in the Majors during 2021, the Pirates’ barrage in the seventh set a mark: Pittsburgh became the first team this season to score eight runs to open an inning without recording an out.

“It all happened pretty quick,” manager Derek Shelton said. “They left some balls in the middle of the plate, and we didn't miss them and we just continued to go.”

The inning started with a double by Ke’Bryan Hayes, who came off the bench in a double switch, followed by a walk to Ben Gamel. Then four consecutive singles tied the game, and in between, there was a lot of good baserunning that Shelton was thrilled to see after a few blunders to start the homestand.

“There were a lot of good baseball things that happened that inning besides the fact that we scored eight runs,” he said.

Up next came Gregory Polanco, who not only had a big hit in that inning, but had a strong overall game as well. The right fielder was candid with reporters before the game about working hard despite criticism, as he’s struggled mightily for a second straight season.

Polanco, with his third hit of the game, scored the go-ahead runs with a double driven deep to left-center field. As he pulled up at second base, he pointed down, then gave a big celebratory, over-the-shoulder gesture toward the dugout -- one the Pirates have done all season.

“I expect him to show emotion. He shows a lot of emotion,” Shelton said. “When we hit a homer, he's the first guy at the top of the dugout step regardless of who gets it or what's going on in his game.”

“I went out there and gave my 100 [percent] like I always do every day, no matter what's happening with my bat or my defense,” Polanco said. “I go and play hard every day.”

It also made it sweeter for Polanco that it came off a friend in Cardinals left-hander Génesis Cabrera, who allowed six runs without recording an out.

To put a bow on the inning, another left-on-left matchup presented itself with pinch-hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo, who is also trying to revive his MLB career. The power hitter, who was inconsistent to start the season before being signed by the Pirates on Aug. 16, rocketed his third pinch-hit home run -- and his fourth homer overall -- with his new club to chase Cabrera.

“This is a veteran guy. Even though he hasn't played in the big leagues for a long time, he played in Japan and had a lot of success,” Shelton said of Tsutsugo’s strong hitting off the bench. “He knows how to handle himself and how to prepare.”

The Pirates are not a hard-knocking team. They finished Thursday’s game with a .364 slugging percentage, which is the worst mark in the Majors. Pittsburgh’s batting average, while still near the bottom of the table, fares a little better at .235.

It points to the bigger strategy the Pirates have to take to pump out runs: Situational hitting, and a lot of it. But they don’t usually see as many situations in a row as they did Thursday.

“Obviously, it would be nice to do it all the time,” said Colin Moran, who had four hits, “but it's just nice to put together a stretch like that. I think everybody fed off each other; having good at-bats, just trying to keep the line moving."

For as many rough patches as this season has had for the Pirates, it was fun to have one night -- and one inning -- to go crazy over and over again. It caps a stretch in which they’ve won five of their last seven games despite moving parts on their roster.

“That was amazing, and that was a great inning,” Polanco said. “We were celebrating like, ‘Let’s go! Let’s go!’ So that was a great moment for sure and we’ve got to keep that energy.”