Steven Goes the Distance, Gregory Launches 3-Run Shot to Snap Streak With 5-1 Win Over the Cards

It was a clean start for Steven Brault against the Redbirds. Ke’Bryan Hayes walked with an out, but Dakota Hudson fed Redbeard a DP ball. It was another 1-2-3 frame for Brault in the second, who is at an economical 19 pitches so far. Gonzo worked a free pass with one away and Gregory doubled an out later, but the Pirates left both ducks on the pond. The Cards got a walk and two knocks with one gone in the third to take the lead, but a 5-3 DP capped the damage. Austin Gomer took the hill after Hudson complained of elbow pain, and gave up a one-out rap to Fraze; Key hit into an around-the-horn DP. A two-out walk was all the St. Louis action in the fourth. Redbeard and J-Bell opened with walks, but a pair of whiffs followed. Gregory made it all better when he lasered a 2-2 slider into the right center seats to give the Bucs a 3-1 edge. K-Man reached on an infield knock and Jake added to the fun, doubling him home and bringing on Tyler Webb to close the gate.

Steven did his job, following the outburst by retiring the Cards in order in the fifth. Key opened with a two-bagger. A Moran single and J-Bell sac fly to the warning track plated him before a Gonzo DP ended the party. Brault kept on chuggin’ along in the sixth. B-Rey singled to start it up and went to second on a long Gregory out. K-Man singled off reliever Seth Elledge, but Reynolds was nailed trying to score and the Bucs put up a zero. Steven cruised through the seventh 1-2-3, and is at just 85 pitches. Andrew Miller came in, walked Fraze and then bopped Key before the Buccos turned tame with two pops around a whiff. Brault continued mowing down the Birds in the eighth. Junior Fernandez got the ball and put the Pirates down in order. Brault came out for the ninth at 96 pitches – good on Shelty! – and ran his string of consecutive Cardinals retired to 16, striking out the last two, to toss the Bucs first complete game of the year. Raise the Roger.

Brault was brilliant – one run, two hits, two walks and eight whiffs on 110 pitches – and Gregory walked into a three-run dinger. Pretty simple game when that happens; just ask Earl Weaver.

Notes:

• Steven Brault threw the first complete game of his MLB career, and the Pirates first since Jamo went nine innings in 2018.
• Gregory and K-Man had two hits; Key reached three times with a hit, walk and HBP, and Fraze & Redbeard each had a knock and walk.
• Colin Moran has grounded into eight DP’s; the next highest Bucco number is three, bounced into by J-Bell, Gregory and Erik Gonzalez.
• The Bucs placed OF Cole Tucker on the 7-day concussion IL and recalled INF/OF José Osuna from Altoona.