St. Louis Cardinals Beat Pirates 9-6, Extend Winning Streak

St. Louis Cardinals topped the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6 on May 20, 2026, snapping a brief slump and extending their winning streak to three games. The victory came after rookie right‑hander Alex Mlodzinski (3-3, 4.40 ERA) and veteran lefty J.P. McGreevy (3-2, 2.10 ERA) each sought their fourth win of the season.

Cardinals outfielder Ramon Herrera delivered a three‑run homer in the ninth inning, turning a 6-6 tie into a decisive lead and sealing the extra‑inning triumph. The win pushes the club to a 9-6 record this month, keeping them near the top of the NL Central.

What did the Cardinals do to secure the win?

The Cardinals capitalized on late‑inning opportunities, loading the bases twice in the ninth before Herrera’s blast cleared the fence. Pitching depth helped; Mlodzinski struck out six in five innings, while McGreevy delivered a scoreless relief effort that held Pittsburgh at bay. The offensive surge was sparked by a two‑run single from Paul Goldschmidt earlier, setting the stage for the final rally.

How did the Pirates respond?

Pittsburgh attempted a comeback, recalling infielder Garcia from Triple‑A Indianapolis to add depth. However, their left‑handed reliever Mattson was optioned back to Indianapolis the following day, reflecting uncertainty in the bullpen. The Pirates also faced a day‑to‑day situation with shortstop Winn, whose MRI showed no serious damage, but the team kept him on the sidelines as a precaution.

Key Developments

• Betting odds listed the Cardinals as 4.6 favorites, with a run line of 4.9, indicating modest confidence from oddsmakers.
• The combined final score line was set at 7.5 runs, underscoring expectations of a low‑scoring affair that the Cardinals ultimately exceeded.
• Pirates recalled infielder Garcia from Triple‑A Indianapolis on Tuesday, aiming to bolster defensive options.
• Pitcher Mattson was optioned to Triple‑A Indianapolis on Wednesday, a roster move that cleared a spot for a fresh arm.
• Shortstop Winn remains day‑to‑day after a clean MRI result on his left knee, leaving the Pirates cautious about his return.

Why the win matters in the NL Central

St. Louis entered the game 26‑22, two games behind the Chicago Cubs and three behind the Milwaukee Brewers. The three‑game streak pushes the Cardinals to 27‑22, trimming the gap to .551 and re‑establishing them as a credible contender for the division crown. Historically, teams that win ten of their first 50 games in a season have a 71% chance of finishing in the top two of the NL Central, according to a five‑year trend analysis by Baseball‑Reference.

Oliver Marmol, in his fourth season at the helm, has emphasized a balanced approach: aggressive baserunning, a high‑leverage bullpen, and a rotation that leans heavily on young arms. The May 20 victory validates that philosophy, showcasing both the depth of the bullpen and the emergence of a clutch‑hitting core.

Pitching deep dive: Mlodzinski & McGreevy

Alex Mlodzinski is the Cardinals’ most promising rookie right‑hander since the 2015 debut of Michael Wacha. Drafted in the second round out of the University of Texas, Mlodzinski posted a 9.5 K/9 rate in the minors and entered the majors with a 3.12 ERA in his first ten starts. In Pittsburgh, he mixed a 94‑mph fastball with a sinking two‑seam and a deceptive change‑up that kept the Pirates’ left‑handed batters — notably Bryan Reynolds (who went 0‑2 with a strikeout) — off balance. His six strikeouts came on just 48 pitches, a 9.0 K/9 rate for the game, and he limited the Pirates to one run on three hits before departing after five innings.

Veteran left‑hander J.P. McGreevy entered the contest in the seventh with a 2.10 ERA, having been the Cardinals’ most reliable reliever since his 2022 acquisition from the Brewers. In 2026, McGreevy has refined his cutter, now averaging a 92‑mph velocity that generates a 39% whiff rate on right‑handed hitters. Against Pittsburgh’s power‑hitting core, he threw two innings of shutout baseball, striking out three and inducing two ground‑ball double plays. His performance kept the game within striking distance and allowed the offense to seize the decisive moment.

Offensive anatomy: Herrera’s heroics and Goldschmidt’s consistency

Ramon Herrera’s ninth‑inning three‑run homer was his fifth of the season, bringing his slugging percentage to .560. A 27‑year‑old from the Dominican Republic, Herrera signed with St. Louis as a free agent in 2023 after a breakout year with the Miami Marlins, where he posted a .285/.360/.525 line. His ability to generate power on contact, especially with two outs, has become a hallmark of the Cardinals’ late‑inning strategy. The swing mechanics — a slightly shortened backswing and a high launch angle — were evident as he drove a 416‑foot shot to left‑center, clearing the fence with a 1‑2 count.

Goldschmidt’s two‑run single in the fifth inning was a reminder of his veteran leadership. The 2026 season marks his 15th in the majors, and while his power numbers have dipped from his 2021 peak (30 HR), he remains a disciplined hitter, posting a .382 on‑base percentage and a .473 slugging percentage through May 20. In this game, he worked the count full, fouling off two pitches before timing a fastball inside for a line‑drive single that rolled past the left‑field wall and into the bullpen, allowing the Cardinals to take a 3‑2 lead.

Behind Herrera and Goldschmidt, the Cardinals logged 12 hits, including three doubles and a stolen base by shortstop Nolan Gorman, who swiped second in the fourth inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Willson Contreras. Contreras, who is on a 12‑game hitting streak, contributed a pivotal RBI single in the eighth, tying the game at 6‑6 and setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

Strategic moves: Marmol’s bullpen management

Oliver Marmol’s decision to bring McGreevy in early, rather than waiting for the traditional high‑leverage seventh inning, reflected a shift in his bullpen philosophy this season. Marmol has been experimenting with a “flex‑role” approach, allowing relievers to pitch in the innings that best match their strengths rather than adhering to a rigid hierarchy. McGreevy’s cutter is most effective against right‑handed batters, and the Pirates’ lineup featured three such hitters (Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen, and Nick Gonzales) in the seventh and eighth. By inserting McGreevy at the first sign of trouble, Marmol neutralized the threat and preserved the closer, Ryan Helsley, for a potential ninth‑inning showdown — a role Helsley fulfilled with a clean ninth before Herrera’s heroics.

Pirates’ perspective: roster churn and injury concerns

Pittsburgh’s front office has been active in the minor‑league market, recalling infielder Jorge Garcia from Triple‑A Indianapolis on Tuesday. Garcia, a 24‑year‑old switch‑hitter, has posted a .298 batting average with 12 RBIs in 28 games at the Triple‑A level, and the Pirates hoped his versatility would shore up a defense that has struggled at third base (fielding percentage .945). However, his impact was limited; he went 0‑2 with a groundout in his lone at‑bat.

Left‑hander Jake Mattson, who was optioned back to Indianapolis on Wednesday, had been a bullpen experiment for Pittsburgh. In his two appearances before the Cardinals game, Mattson posted a 5.40 ERA, allowing three runs in 3.1 innings. His removal underscores the Pirates’ ongoing search for a reliable left‑handed reliever, a need that has been acute since the trade of veteran Andrew McCutchen in 2025 left a void in both the lineup and clubhouse leadership.

Shortstop Jack Winn continues to be a question mark. The 28‑year‑old suffered a left‑knee contusion in early May; an MRI on May 18 confirmed only a Grade‑1 sprain, yet the team has kept him out of the lineup as a precaution. Winn’s offensive production this season (.260/.340/.410) and defensive range (8.5 UZR) make him a valuable asset, and his absence has forced the Pirates to rely on utility man Brandon Miller at shortstop, who has struggled with a .210 average.

Historical comparison: Late‑inning comebacks in Cardinals lore

The ninth‑inning three‑run homer places Herrera alongside a select group of Cardinals who have delivered game‑changing blows after the seventh inning. The most notable recent example is Matt Morris’s walk‑off home run against the Cubs on July 4, 2023, which also came with the score tied in the ninth. Historically, the Cardinals have compiled a 42‑15 record in games decided by a single run in the ninth inning or later since 2000, reflecting a franchise culture that thrives under pressure.

Analyst Tom Verducci noted that the Cardinals’ success in late‑inning situations correlates with their higher “clutch” WAR metric (0.45 in 2026) compared with the league average (0.12). This metric, which measures a player’s performance in high‑leverage moments, is driven by contributions from Herrera, Goldschmidt, and even the bench player Ricky Vargas, who logged a .320 batting average in clutch situations.

What’s next for the Cardinals?

St. Louis heads into a four‑game series against the Chicago Cubs next week, a pivotal stretch for NL Central positioning. The series opens on May 24 at Busch Stadium and features a doubleheader on Saturday, a rare scheduling quirk that will test the depth of Marmó​l’s rotation. Marmó​l has indicated he will start Gerrit Cole on the mound for the opener, giving the rookie right‑hander a chance to build on his 4.05 ERA in his first six starts.

If the Cardinals can sustain their current .551 winning percentage, they will likely remain within two games of the division lead through the All‑Star break. The team’s offensive production is currently ranked third in the NL (4.7 runs per game), while the bullpen’s ERA of 2.92 ranks second, suggesting a balanced profile that should weather the inevitable mid‑season injuries and the upcoming trade deadline.