In the rubber match of a series between NL Central foes Jeff Locke got the better of Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals. Ike Davis added the offensive power and the Pittsburgh Pirates inched closer to the National League Wild Card with a 3-1 win. The Pirates take two of three from the Cardinals after doing the same to the Brewers as the NL Central continues to be the most competitive division in baseball.
Locke scattered six hits over 7.1 innings. He allowed one earned run on the day and struck out three. Locke has struggled with command in recent starts, but only walked two today. The one earned run was a laser home run by Matt Holliday in the third inning. Locke also had his first two hit game of his career at the plate. The win moved Locke to 6-3 on the year.
Davis hit another two-run shot today that traveled even farther than his eighth-inning bomb last night. He homered on consecutive pitches to the same part of the ballpark, right center field. This time he got a down-and-in cutter from Wainwright that he slammed off a set of speakers just beyond the last row of seats.
Andrew McCutchen returned to the lineup despite leaving early last night. His is still dealing with the pain from an avulsion fracture in his 11th rib. It looks like the defending NL MVP is going to gut it out for the rest of the season. It is obvious that he is still in pain when he swings the bat.
The win temporarily moved the Pirates to within one game of the last Wild Card spot. The Cardinals are still firmly in the top Wild Card position. Both teams have the day off tomorrow before facing other divisional opponents. The Pirates welcome the Reds to PNC Park while the Cardinals return home to take on the Cubs.