The early innings of the latest battle in the protracted war between the Pirates and the Cardinals unfolded in typically tense point-counterpoint fashion. The Pirates struck first against Michael Wacha in the bottom of the second. Francisco Cervelli opened with a single before Gregory Polanco, fresh from the official announcement of his new five-year contract extension, crushed a triple off the Clemente Wall. Josh Harrison then hit a slow grounder to short to score Polanco with the Pirates' second run.
The Cardinals tied the game with two runs in the third.