PITTSBURGH — The Pirates set a franchise record for strikeouts in a single season but saw their five-game win streak come to a close with a 5-1 loss to the Cardinals at PNC Park on Thursday night.
Bottom 2nd, 1-0 PIT: Brandon Lowe clubbed his 34th home run of the season, a 434-foot solo shot off Matthew Liberatore (6-14), to give the Pirates (80-78) the lead.
Top 3rd, 3-1 STL:The Cardinals (77-81) tied the game on Alec Burleson 's RBI single off Brandon Eisert (3-3). After Eisert was taken out of the game, Iván Herrera scored on a Khristian Curtis wild pitch and Leo Bernal delivered an RBI single.
Top 4th, 5-1 STL: Masyn Winn hit an RBI double to center with one out and JJ Wetherholt followed with an RBI single to right.
Khristian Curtis' wild pitch in the third inning allowed the game-winning run to score and allowed for an insurance run to come home, sealing the Pirates' fate.
Matthew Liberatore earned his first win since July 11 by holding the Pirates to one run on six hits with six strikeouts. The left-hander had lost each of his last eight decisions entering play.
Lake Bachar 's strikeout of Alec Burleson was the Pirates' 1,444th of the season, setting a franchise record. The previous record of 1,443 was set in 2019.
Lake Bachar: 1.2 innings, one hit, no runs, one walk, two strikeouts, 30 pitches/18 strikes
Brandon Eisert: 0.2 inning, two hits, three runs, one walk, one strikeout, 18 pitches/eight strikes
Khrsitian Curtis: 3.2 innings, five hits, two runs, one walk, three strikeouts, 71 pitches/45 strikes
Brandon Lowe: 2 for 4, one home run, one RBI, one run
Ryan O'Hearn: 2 for 3, two doubles
After also starting Sunday's game against the Royals, Lake Bachar became the first Pirate since Francisco Liriano to start twice in a three-game stretch. The last Pirate to do that without the All-Star break was Larry McWilliams in 1983.
The Pirates' five-game win streak was tied for a season-high.
RHP Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.91 ERA) makes his last start of the year in the Pirates' final home game on Thursday afternoon. He'll be opposed by RHP Kyle Leahy (10-5, 3.65 ERA). First pitch: 12:35 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh, MLB Network/100.1 FM & AM 1020.
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