The Cardinals Lost Their 39th Game

Gregory Polanco homered twice Monday as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2.

With John Jaso on base, Polanco hit a line drive to right off Redbirds starter Carlos Martinez for a 2-1 lead. The Pirates outfielder also smacked an opposite-field solo shot in the eighth off reliever Seth Maness to give Pittsburgh a 4-1 advantage.

Martinez struck out seven in seven innings, but received his sixth loss of the season as he allowed three earned runs with nine hits. The Cardinals’ lineup didn’t help the pitcher’s cause; the team was one-for-seven with runners in scoring position. Manager Mike Matheny acknowledged the squandered opportunities:

“Guys had a good plan, they had an idea of what they wanted to do,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “We just couldn’t get that big hit. We left a little too much on the table.”

The Cardinals are 43-39 and 18-24 at home. There’s always the next game!