Ashcraft Dominates as Pirates Silence Cards in St. Louis

The Pittsburgh Pirates walked into Busch Stadium on Thursday night and reminded the St. Louis Cardinals exactly why you don’t overlook anybody in May. Behind a masterclass pitching performance from Braxton Ashcraft and timely hitting that included three solo homers, the Pirates put together a complete game victory, winning 6-2 and leaving the home crowd decidedly unhappy.

Ashcraft was nothing short of brilliant, spinning 7.0 innings of four-hit baseball while striking out nine batters. He allowed just one run, walked two, and kept the Cardinals’ potent lineup completely off balance. This wasn’t a pitcher who got lucky or benefited from stellar defense behind him, though that certainly helped. This was a pitcher in complete control, dictating terms from the first pitch to the last. When you’re hitting nine strikeouts against a Cardinals lineup capable of real damage, you’ve earned your payday.

The Pirates struck first and struck often. Brandon Lowe opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo shot to left field, his 13th of the season. That early salvo set the tone for Pittsburgh’s approach, and the Cardinals never recovered. Dustin May lasted just 5.1 innings for St. Louis, surrendering four earned runs on six hits, which tells you everything you need to know about his Thursday evening.

Ivan Herrera got one back in the third with a solo homer of his own, his sixth of the year. For a moment, you could sense the Cardinals thinking they had a ballgame. Spoiler alert, they didn’t. Pittsburgh’s offense was too disciplined, too opportunistic, and too relentless. Marcell Ozuna delivered a crucial two-run single in the sixth that proved to be the game’s turning point, padding the lead to 4-1. Then Henry Davis added insult to injury with a solo blast in the seventh, his third of the season and a dagger to any lingering Cardinals hopes.

Look, I’ll give St. Louis credit. Jordan Walker’s seventh-inning single scored Ivan Herrera and kept the Cardinals from being shut out. That’s something. But in a game where one team is hitting three solo homers and limiting you to two runs, that’s not enough. That’s not even close to enough.

Pirates Offensive Firepower Too Much

Brandon Lowe and Henry Davis were the primary architects of Pittsburgh’s offensive explosion, but this was a team effort. Konnor Griffin scored twice, Spencer Horwitz scored, and Oneil Cruz scored on a Bryan Reynolds groundout. The Pirates didn’t need a big inning to beat the Cardinals. They were patient, they capitalized on opportunities, and they let Ashcraft do his job on the mound.

Cardinal Letdown

This loss stings for St. Louis because it was entirely preventable. Dustin May didn’t pitch poorly enough to lose a game by four runs, but he didn’t pitch well enough to win either. The Cardinals’ defense was competent, but their offense was nonexistent. You cannot rely on solo homers to win baseball games, especially not when the other team’s pitcher is dealing like Ashcraft was on Thursday night.

The Pirates came to Busch Stadium as visitors and left as winners, proving once again that you earn respect in this league with pitching and timely hitting, not accolades or reputation. Pittsburgh got both on Thursday. St. Louis got neither.