Cardinals tag Paul Skenes for five runs in win over Pirates

Victor Scott II and Brendan Donovan each had two hits and combined to drive in three runs to help the St. Louis Cardinals' snap a four-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals scored all of their runs against Pirates ace Paul Skenes (1-1), marking a career high for the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year.

Skenes has yet to beat the Cardinals as he fell to 0-3 in four career starts against them.

St. Louis starter Sonny Gray (2-0) allowed one run on three hits and no walks, and struck out four on 71 pitches.

Gray's lone blemish came thanks to a solo home run to right center by Bryan Reynolds, who hit his second of the season.

Reynolds provided most of the offense for the Pirates, as he also hit a double off the left field wall off reliever JoJo Romero to put runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. It led to a run on an RBI groundout by Andrew McCutchen to cut the Cardinals' lead to 5-2.

Phil Maton struck out Ke'Bryan Hayes, but Joey Bart delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to two. Maton then nailed down his first save of the year and sixth of his career when he induced Tommy Pham to line out to right field.

Skenes looked sharp for the first two innings, retiring all six batters he faced. But St. Louis got to him quickly in the third with three runs on four hits.

Scott's two-run triple to deep center off a 98-mph fastball from Skenes put the Cardinals ahead 2-0.

Donovan, who had three hits in Monday's series opener, followed with an RBI single to left to score Scott.

Skenes regrouped with two hitless innings, but ran into trouble again immediately in the sixth thanks to Donovan, who led off the frame with a double. Donovan scored two batters later on a single by Alec Burleson.

Two batters later, Nolan Arenado, who drew a walk earlier in the inning, scored on Pedro Pages' RBI ground out. Pages started behind the plate as St. Louis moves forward without starting catcher Ivan Herrera, who is expected to miss four weeks with a bone bruise in his left knee.

--Field Level Media