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Cardinals record 17 runs without hitting homer vs. Pirates

By Alex Butler
St. Louis Cardinals star Marcell Ozuna had four RBIs in a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday in St. Louis. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
St. Louis Cardinals star Marcell Ozuna had four RBIs in a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday in St. Louis. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

May 10 (UPI) -- The St. Louis Cardinals plated 17 runs without hitting a homer in a lopsided division win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

St. Louis went through its entire batting order on three occasions in the 17-4 triumph on Thursday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

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"Homers are nice. We'll take them," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told reporters. "But when we're at our best is when we're doing damage in a lot of different ways and using all our skills and playing the game based on situations. That was [evidenced] tonight."

Five different Cardinals hitters recorded multiple RBIs. Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna plated a game-high four runs in the win.

Pittsburgh took the initial lead, getting a first inning home run from Gregory Polanco. Then things came unraveled for the Bucs.

Pirates starter Joe Musgrove walked Ozuna to start the bottom of the second inning. Ozuna came in to score on a Yadier Molina double two batters later. Dexter Fowler followed by plating Molina and Jose Martinez on another double. Paul Goldschmidt gave St. Louis a 4-1 lead with an RBI single later in the same inning.

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Polanco gave the Pirates their second run with an RBI double in the top of the third frame. Fowler and Kolten Wong gave St. Louis two more runs in the bottom of the third inning.

St. Louis put up a five spot in the fourth inning, getting RBIs from Martinez, Molina, Fowler and Wong to make the score 11-2. Polanco recorded another RBI with a double in the top of the next inning. Josh Bell brought in Pittsburgh's final run with an RBI ground out in the fifth inning.

The Cardinals produced another five runs in the sixth frame. Matt Carpenter plated Wong with an RBI single. Goldschmidt brought in Harrison Bader with an RBI double in the same frame. Ozuna brought in Carpenter, Paul DeJong and Goldschmit with another RBI double in the sixth inning.

Neither National League Center squad scored in the seventh frame. Ozuna brought in the game's final run when he plated Carpenter on a force out in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Ozuna was 1-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs scored, two walks and a strikeout in the win. Molina was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI in the win.

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Cardinals starter Michael Wacha improved to 3-0 on the season by allowing nine hits and four runs in 5.2 innings against the Pirates.

The Pirates and Cardinals resume the series at 8:15 p.m. on Friday in St. Louis.

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