Things couldn’t be going much worse for the last-place Pirates, who have lost their last eight games and are 2–18 in their last 20. Things were looking up yesterday in St. Louis, though, with Pittsburgh taking an 8–4 lead into the seventh. The Buccos did not take an 8–4 lead out of the seventh, however.
After Pirates reliever Kyle Crick plunked two consecutive batters to force in a run, Cardinals centerfielder Lane Thomas blasted a grand slam that gave his team a 9–8 lead. The Pittsburgh TV announcers were despondent. Listen to the pure disappointment in the play-by-play man’s voice when he says “Cardinals lead.