Pinch-hit homer by Joshua Palacios in the 9th propels Pirates to win over Cardinals

Win No. 63 on the year for the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t have come in more dramatic fashion.

The Pirates picked up a 7-6 win Saturday at Busch Stadium for their fifth straight victory and also surpassed last year’s win total.

It proved to be a difficult task that appeared uncertain until the final moments of the bottom of the ninth inning.

For starters, the Pirates (63-73) entered the top of the ninth trailing 6-5.

Joshua Palacios, pinch-hitting with Andrew McCutchen on first, quickly remedied that with a two-run homer.

“Pinch-hitting’s not easy, and for Josh to come off the bench and pick us up, that’s huge,” Connor Joe said on the AT&T SportsNet postgame show.

But in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals had a golden opportunity for a walk-off.

All-Star closer David Bednar got into trouble early, allowing a leadoff single to Tommy Edman before hitting Jordan Walker.

Masyn Winn then laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing both runners and presenting Lars Nootbaar with a chance to win the game.

Nootbaar, despite a 10-pitch battle with Bednar, struck out looking.

Paul Goldschmidt, who fought off eight pitches, grounded out on the ninth from Bednar to end the game.

“No. 1, that’s a big-league save,” manager Derek Shelton said. “To get it that way, to have to go through Nootbaar and (Goldschmidt) at the end, but Palacios — he’s near the top of (baseball’s) leaders in pinch hits — he got a pitch to hit and hit it out of the ballpark.”

Bednar (3-2, 2.05 ERA) picked up his 31st save of the year. Cody Bolton (1-0, 7.63 ERA), who pitched a scoreless eighth, picked up the win.

Thomas Hatch started as an opener for the Pirates, lasting 2 1/3 innings.

His night ended shortly after allowing a three-run homer to Tyler O’Neill in the bottom of the second.

The Pirates, trailing 3-0, scored their first run in the fourth when Joe tripled in McCutchen, who finished 1 for 2 with an RBI, two walks and two runs scored.

Then, in the fifth, the Pirates tied the score 3-3.

Ji Hwan Bae scored on an RBI single by Bryan Reynolds, and McCutchen singled home Hayes, who had walked.

From there, the seesaw of lead changes began.

St. Louis took a 4-3 lead when Nootbaar hit a solo homer off of Bailey Falter, who tossed a team-high 3 2/3 innings.

The Pirates scored a pair in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, thanks to an RBI double by Miguel Andujar and a single off the bat of Bae.

But the Pirates’ lead was short-lived as Walker blasted a two-run homer in the seventh off of Colin Selby, putting the Cardinals on top 6-5.

That set the stage for Palacios in the top of the ninth.

McCutchen had gotten aboard after absorbing a fastball from Drew VerHagen to the shoulder.

“Overall, just an outstanding finish to the game,” Shelton said.

Bae (2 for 4) and Liover Peguero (2 for 5) were the two Pirates to record multiple hits.