There is a general strategy for any visiting club when it comes to Major League Baseball's new extra-inning rules and the freebie baserunner that starts every added inning at second base.
The idea is to play for more than that run because the home starts with the same head start, too.
The Pirates played for a bigger inning than just the bonus run.
The Cardinals, in extras for the first time this season, helped the cause.
The Bucs needed every bit of it.
A walk and an error greased Pittsburgh's three-run rally in the top of the eighth inning that carried them to a 4-1 lead and they held on for a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of the doubleheader Thursday at Busch Stadium.