Carpenter’s HR spoils moment for Pittsburgh

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS

It was a real nice moment for David Freese, followed by a tough ending for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Freese, a St. Louis native who helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2011, got a standing ovation when he pinch-hit for Pittsburgh in the ninth inning on Saturday, but the Pirates lost 6-4 when Matt Carpenter hit a game-ending homer for the Cardinals.

The ovation for Freese was so loud that he backed out of the batter’s box and tipped his batting helmet. It was his first plate appearance at Busch Stadium since he was traded following the 2012 season.

Freese reached on an error by rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz. With two outs, Freese on third and Gregory Polanco on first, Starling Marte hit a tying ground-rule double off Trevor Rosenthal (1-1). Francisco Cervelli then grounded out to end the inning.

If Marte’s drive had not bounced over the left-field fence, Polanco would have had a chance to score.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that he scores had that ball stayed in the ballpark,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “That’s the definition of a bad bounce.”

Diaz sparked the winning rally with a leadoff single in the bottom half of the inning. After Jeremy Hazelbaker flied to deep left, Carpenter drove a 1-2 pitch from A.J. Schugel (0-1) over the wall in right for his fourth homer.

Carpenter said it was his first game-ending hit since he played for Double-A Springfield in 2012.

“We can cross it off the list now,” he said.

It was the Cardinals’ first win over the Pirates in five games this season.

Jeff Locke pitched six innings for Pittsburgh, allowing three runs — two in the first — and four hits.

The Pirates tied it at 3 on John Jaso’s two-out RBI single in the seventh on an 0-2 pitch from off Seung Hwan Oh. The Cardinals went back in front on Randal Grichuk’s RBI single in the eighth, setting up the frantic finish. Grichuk also had a two-run single in the first.

Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright allowed three runs and seven hits, struck out five and walked none in 61/3 innings. Wainwright, who has struggled in the first part of the season with a 6.30 ERA, said his curveball started to click when he struck out Francisco Cervelli after the first four Pirates reached in the first.