PITTSBURGH -- Cardinals manager Mike Matheny handed closer Greg Holland the ball and a juicy opportunity to notch his first save of the season.
Holland, a major free-agent acquisition who led the National League in saves in 2017, was unable to seize the moment Friday night at PNC Park. Trailing by three runs, the Pirates tied it in the ninth off Holland and won it, 6-5, in the 11th, when David Freese scored from third on Starling Marte's two-out single off Jordan Hicks.
The comeback overshadowed another strong performance by Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, who is emerging as one of the feel-good pitching stories of the 2018 season.