PITTSBURGH -- JJ Wetherholt has been to PNC Park plenty of times, but he’d never had a night like Monday.
The Cardinals’ rookie second baseman hit a game-tying homer during a four-run ninth inning as the Redbirds rallied for a 4-2 victory in the opener of a four-game series. St. Louis ended its four-game losing streak.
Growing up in the northern Pittsburgh suburb of Mars, Pa., Wetherholt was a big Pirates fan and idolized outfielder Andrew McCutchen. There was also a time, as a child, when Wetherholt was late to his own party at PNC Park because his friend’s father couldn’t find a parking space close to the stadium.
Wetherholt played collegiately at West Virginia and took part in three Backyard Brawls against Pitt, which are played annually at PNC Park.
Yet it was a different situation for Wetherholt on Monday night. It marked Wetherholt’s first time in Pittsburgh as a Major League player.
The Cardinals trailed, 2-0, entering the ninth inning, but Pedro Pagés and Wetherholt hit back-to-back homers off Dennis Santana to tie the score. José Fermín then hit a two-run go-ahead double into the left-field corner.
“I really was just really trying to get on base and was able to put a good swing on the ball,” Wetherholt said. “It was good to come through, but it was a great team win.”
Four Pirates pitchers combined to hold the Cardinals without a baserunner through 6 2/3 innings before Alec Burleson’s two-out infield single off Evan Sisk in the seventh broke up the perfect-game bid.
Burleson hit a ground ball that third baseman Nick Gonzales backhanded. However, Burleson beat the throw to first.
Opener Mason Montgomery and Justin Lawrence pitched one inning each, and Wilber Dotel worked the next four innings. Sisk pitched two-thirds of an inning before he was relieved by Isaac Mattson following Burleson’s hit.
“It says a lot that our guys were able to stay engaged and steal this game,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “That’s one of the great things about this team. Our guys always keep fighting.”
Wetherholt went 1-for-4.
“It’s crazy,” Wetherholt, St. Louis' No. 1 prospect, said before the game. “It’s kind of a goofy experience, but it’s such an honor to be here. Playing against the team you grew up rooting for will always hold a special place in your heart.
“For me, I feel like it’s just how many games I’ve watched here, so I feel like I know this park better than any other park. Just being here as a kid and playing here a little bit in college was super cool. The backdrop of the city you grew up in, to be able to play in a ballpark like that is special.”
Wetherholt stayed on the field and took pictures with his family for about 15 minutes after the game.
“The cool part is when he hit the home run ... all his family sitting in that one section all went crazy,” Marmol said. “That’s something you don’t forget.”
Wetherholt, 23, is hitting .238/.359/.429 with six home runs and 14 RBIs in 28 games. He is living up to being ranked the game’s No. 5 prospect.
“He’s had an incredible season,” Marmol said. “I think we’ve talked quite a bit about his success early, not only offensively, but defensively, on the bases, his demeanor, what he brings to the club. There are a lot of positives there, especially for a young kid.”
“He’s gone about his business as if he’s been here for several years, which is cool to see. That, his understanding of the game and his hunger is a great combination. He’s confident enough of who he is as a person and a player, but never comfortable enough to not want to see what’s next.”