Cards get 2 chances to clinch

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

The St. Louis Cardinals have to wait at least one more day to break out the champagne after rain postponed Tuesday night’s game in Pittsburgh.

Considering the rest of the good news that greeted the team with the best record in the majors, the Cardinals can handle the wait.

St. Louis can wrap up a third straight NL Central title today if it takes either game of a day/night doubleheader. The Cardinals will start Michael Wacha (17-6, 3.15 ERA) in the opener against Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole (18-8, 2.60) and send Tyler Lyons (2-1, 3.96) to face Charlie Morton (9-8, 4.54) in the second.

While Matheny remained cautious about his team’s chances — stressing “we’ve got a game to win” — there is plenty of cause for optimism.

Rookie outfielder Stephen Piscotty was discharged from the hospital early Tuesday, an encouraging sign following a frightening collision with teammate Peter Bourjos in Monday night’s 3-0 victory.

And ace Adam Wainwright is expected to be activated today after spending five months on the disabled list with a torn left Achilles.

Piscotty was held overnight for observation after suffering a head contusion when Bourjos’ left knee smacked into him while the two chased a fly ball to the left-center gap in the seventh inning. The Pirates, meanwhile, need a sweep to keep their slim hopes of avoiding the wild card for a third straight October. Pittsburgh wasted a chance to pull within two games of St. Louis on Monday when the Pirates left 16 runners on base and gifted the Cardinals a go-ahead run in the ninth when right fielder Gregory Polanco overran a line-drive single by Jon Jay, allowing Matt Carpenter to score from first.

Polanco said afterward he simply dropped the ball while committing his eighth error of the season. The gaffe in the midst of a pennant race did little to shake manager Clint Hurdle’s confidence in the talented but still raw 24-year-old whose development is one of the main reasons the Pirates are heading back to the postseason.

“He takes it to heart when he doesn’t make the best play he can make,” Hurdle said of Polanco. “He’s very conscious when he doesn’t feel he defended his position ... these are opportunities, as painful as they are, for growth. What we ask out of any player is when you make a mistake to admit it, correct it and do the best you can to not repeat it.”