Oct 2, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter (13) hits a three run home run off of Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Antonio Bastardo (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals won, but still lost.
Their 10-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday at sold-out Busch Stadium was rendered meaningless by San Francisco’s 7-1 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers, eliminating St. Louis from the National League playoffs for the first time since 2010.
The Cardinals finished 86-76, winning their last four games, but couldn’t catch the Giants, who also won their last four games. It was the first time in manager Mike Matheny’s five seasons that St. Louis didn’t reach the playoffs.
A six-run seventh inning snapped a 4-4 tie for the Cardinals. Stephen Piscotty knocked in Yadier Molina with the tie-breaking run on a single to center. Jedd Gyorko’s bases-loaded bouncer to third was misplayed by Jung Ho Kang for an error and an RBI.
Randal Grichuk grounded a two-run double to left for an 8-4 lead, followed by sacrifice flies from pinch-hitter Matt Adams and Matt Carpenter to cap the outburst.
Jonathan Broxton (4-2) got the win despite allowing a game-tying two-run homer to John Jaso in the top of the seventh. Juan Nicasio (10-7) was tagged with the loss after giving up hits to all three batters he faced.
Neither starter figured into the decision. Pittsburgh’s Ryan Vogelsong worked five innings, allowing five hits and a run with three walks and a strikeout. St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright pitched six innings, giving up six hits and two runs while walking three and fanning eight.
Catcher Yadier Molina gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the third with a two-out single that scored Aledmys Diaz from first as the ball trickled by center fielder Andrew McCutchen.
The Pirates (78-83) grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a two-out, two-run single by McCutchen, but Carpenter erased it with a two-out, three-run homer in the sixth — his 21st of the year.
With the outcome decided, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny gave the crowd of 44,615 their final wish, entering Matt Holliday into the game in left field for the ninth inning.
Holliday, whose club option for next year is unlikely to be picked up by the Cardinals, stayed out there for one pitch and then departed to a standing ovation.
NOTES: St. Louis C Yadier Molina caught his 146th game Sunday, the most by a Cardinals catcher since Ted Simmons donned the gear for 154 games in 1975. … Pittsburgh RHP Ryan Vogelsong has recorded 900 strikeouts for his career. … The Cardinals finished with 225 homers, second-most in club history behind the 2000 team that clubbed 235 homers. Their 104 homers at Busch Stadium III is a single-season stadium record.
