St. Louis Cardinals' Sonny Gray Dominates Pittsburgh Pirates in 5-0 Victory

Sonny Gray was exceptional on the mound, pitching seven innings of two-hit ball to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a convincing 5-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gray, with a record of 4-1, struck out eight batters and walked only one in this stellar performance, marking his first win since April 14. The Cardinals improved to a .500 record at 18-18, including a strong 15-6 record at home. Masyn Winn delivered two crucial RBI doubles, while Lars Nootbaar contributed three hits and Victor Scott II scored twice. On the other hand, the Pirates continue to struggle, being shut out for the eight time as they suffered their seventh straight loss and 10th defeat in 11 games overall. St. Louis took an early lead with two runs in the third inning against Pirates' pitcher Mitch Keller (1-4). Scott drew a walk and scored on Nootbaar's hit-and-run single to right field, with Winn adding a bloop RBI double. Scott extended his hitting streak to eight games by leading off the fifth inning with a single and scoring on Winn's double. Jordan Walker later drove in two runs with a single in the eighth inning. Keller allowed seven hits over six-plus innings, striking out six and walking three. The Pirates managed only four hits, and their offense struggled throughout the game with key players like Nolan Arenado being sidelined due to back spasms. Despite a late threat by the Pirates in the eighth inning, St. Louis's relief pitcher Kyle Leahy shut down the rally to secure the win. The Cardinals will now embark on a nine-game road trip starting with a series against the Washington Nationals, while the Pirates will return home to face the Atlanta Braves.