Cardinals sweep – JJ Wetherholt’s homer sparked St. Louis’ 10-5 win as the Cardinals completed a four-game sweep of Pittsburgh.
A three-run swing early helped St. Louis turn Thursday night into a statement as the Cardinals completed a four-game sweep of the Pirates with a 10-5 victory.
JJ Wetherholt led the way by launching a home run to open the scoring against Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who was handed a rare off-night as Pittsburgh’s skid stretched. Skenes finished with five runs allowed in five innings, ending a run of strong form after a shaky start to the season.
The Cardinals piled on quickly, sending the game’s message in the first inning alone.. Along with Wetherholt’s early blast, Jordan Walker also went deep in the same frame, and St.. Louis kept adding damage throughout.. Alec Burleson finished with three hits and three RBIs. while Nathan Church contributed a two-run double during a five-run eighth to push the margin back out after Pittsburgh trimmed it.
Misryoum: Finishing a sweep is never just one good inning. It reflects how the deeper rotation and lineup matchups play out across multiple games, and St. Louis did exactly that against Pittsburgh.
Across the league, Detroit battled past Atlanta to avoid a three-game sweep, rallying late to win 3-2 in the eighth-inning swing. Gleyber Torres delivered the decisive go-ahead production with a sacrifice fly, triggered by a chain of baserunners that flipped the game after Kerry Carpenter’s triple.
In Cincinnati, the Reds built momentum with Nathaniel Lowe setting the tone again. Lowe homered for the fifth time in six games, and Andrew Abbott turned in a strong six-inning outing as Cincinnati beat Colorado to take two of three in the series.
Meanwhile. Houston split its doubleheader with Baltimore after falling into a split outcome. with the Astros winning the finale as Yordan Alvarez drove a big day at the plate.. Philadelphia also found a way to close the door on San Francisco in a doubleheader sweep. turning two ninth-inning deficits into walk-off wins. with Kyle Schwarber playing a central role.
Misryoum: These results matter because late-game execution is separating contenders and pretenders early. When teams are producing go-ahead swings in high-pressure spots, the standings start to take care of themselves.
Elsewhere on the schedule. Washington earned a win over New York. Milwaukee powered its way past Arizona with a high-output day at the plate. and Minnesota opened a series with a victory behind timely extra-base hitting.. With so many games decided by key rallies. Thursday’s roundup underlined the theme of the day: momentum is being earned. not just hoped for.