Big defensive plays, sacrifice fly by Henry Davis help Pirates clip Cardinals

As Don Kelly was trying to explain an offensive outburst where the Pittsburgh Pirates scored 37 runs in four games, he couldn’t help but note how much fun it is to win one-run games.

After four consecutive blowout victories, the Pirates were back to playing in a tight game Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, one that involved seven scoreless innings between the NL Central foes.

This one had a fun outcome, too.

Henry Davis hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Ke’Bryan Hayes to break a scoreless tie in the eighth inning, then made a tag at the plate to prevent the Cardinals from scoring as the Pirates pulled out a 1-0 win in thrilling fashion before an energized crowd of 19,631 at PNC Park.

The Pirates (37-50) extended their winning streak to a season-best five games, clinching their second consecutive shutout and another series victory behind strong pitching and a number of defensive gems.

“This was a fun one, man. I’ll tell you what: The crowd was into it. It got loud there,” said Kelly, who credited the crowd for being disruptive. “The way they were into it, up on their feet, you could feel the energy even in the ninth inning, with (runners on) second and third. You could feel it, and it helps the guys. The players feel that when they’re out there, too.”

In a matchup with Pirates star Paul Skenes, Cardinals starter Andre Pallante surrendered only one hit and two walks in seven scoreless innings. The Pirates took advantage against Phil Maton in the eighth. Hayes hit a leadoff single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, and pinch-hitter Adam Frazier followed with a book-rule double down the right field line to put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs.

Davis finally broke the scoreless tie when he hit a 1-1 curveball low and away for a sacrifice fly to score Hayes from third and give the Pirates a one-run lead. Davis knew it could be the difference in the outcome.

“Yeah, no doubt,” Davis said. “The way our pitchers have been throwing the ball, just trying to scratch one across and put the ball in play. Get it to the outfield, really, but just trying to convert any way we can.”

The Cardinals did the same with a rally in the ninth. Jose Fermin worked a full-count leadoff walk against Pirates closer David Bednar and advanced to third on a one-out double to left by pinch hitter Yohel Pozo. Victor Scott II hit a chopper to first that Horwitz fielded and threw a strike home to Davis, whose tag of Fermin at the plate was called an out by home plate umpire Charlie Ramos. The Cardinals challenged the call — replays showed it be close — but after a review, the call stood.

“To be able to make that play on Spencer’s part, but also you mentioned Henry being able to get up at the front of the plate and still apply the tag in a bang-bang fashion,” Kelly said, “that was great.”

Bednar struck out Brendan Donovan on three pitches — going splitter and four-seamer before getting him looking at a curveball for a called third strike — to earn his 12th save and end the game.

Until then, it was a pitching duel. Skenes tossed five scoreless innings, allowing five hits and one walk with one hit batsman and five strikeouts before being replaced by lefty Caleb Ferguson for the sixth inning.

The Cardinals had a couple of chances against Skenes. They had runners on the corners with no outs in the third after singles by Scott — who beat Horwitz to the bag on a grounder to first — and Donovan. Skenes responded by getting Masyn Winn to chase a changeup for a strikeout and Alec Burleson hit a sharp liner to shortstop that Isiah Kiner-Falefa turned into a double play with a throw to first to get Donovan out.

Skenes put a pair of runners on again in the fourth, when he hit leadoff batter Willson Contreras on the left hand with a pitch and Nolan Gorman singled to right before Fermin’s bunt popped up to Skenes and Lars Nootbaar flied out to right.

When Pedro Pages hit a line drive with a 102.9-mph exit velocity to left field, Contreras attempted to score from second, but Tommy Pham sent a perfect one-hop throw to Davis to get him out at home.

“He threw a strike, hosed him,” Davis said. “It was great. Obviously, when you’ve got Skenes on the mound, you know if you keep them off the board, you’ve got a pretty good chance. Play good defense behind him.”

Pallante allowed only two baserunners through the first four innings. Andrew McCutchen drew a full-count walk in the first inning but was stranded at third, then singled in the third only for Bryan Reynolds to ground into a double play.

Fermin was credited with a leadoff double in the seventh when second baseman Nick Gonzales chased his pop fly to shallow left-center but couldn’t catch it between Kiner-Falefa and center fielder Oneil Cruz. Fermin advanced to third on Nootbaar’s groundout to short, but Ferguson escaped by striking out Pages and getting Scott to ground out to short to keep the game scoreless.

Isaac Mattson relieved Ferguson for the eighth and allowed full-count walks to Donovan and Garrett Hampson, but got Gorman to fly out to center to prevent the Cardinals from scoring.

The Pirates (37-50) have a chance to clinch a second consecutive series sweep in the finale at 12:35 p.m. Wednesday. The manner of victory proved to the Pirates that they can win by blowout or in close games.

“I think we’re capable of playing better baseball than our record would indicate,” Davis said. “Trusting that doing the little things and playing winning baseball will lead to that. I think that it’s contagious. Obviously, it starts with DK, and we’re the guys on the field, so just having good energy and intent every time we get out there will lead to better results.”