St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Match, Player, Stats

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-5 on April 30, 2026, at PNC Park. The result completed a four-game sweep for St. Louis. The Cardinals combined 13 hits with two home runs and a five-run eighth inning to pull away from Pittsburgh.

For readers checking the St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates match player stats, the most important numbers come from both sides of the ball. Alec Burleson drove in three runs, Jordan Walker added three RBIs and a home run, while JJ Wetherholt opened the game with a home run. Pittsburgh received two hits and two RBIs from Bryan Reynolds, plus a home run from Brandon Lowe.

The pitching matchup also produced an interesting contrast. Paul Skenes struck out nine Cardinals in five innings, yet St. Louis scored five runs against him. Gordon Graceffo earned the win after recording 1⅓ scoreless innings.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Match Summary

The game was played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on April 30, 2026. St. Louis won 10-5 and finished the afternoon with a clear advantage in offensive production.

The Cardinals scored three times in the first inning, added runs in the third and fifth, then produced five runs in the eighth. Pittsburgh scored once in the fourth, twice in the fifth, once in the seventh and once in the ninth.

Inning-by-Inning Score

The five-run eighth inning proved to be the difference. St. Louis entered the inning leading 5-4 and finished it ahead 10-4. Pittsburgh added one run in the ninth, but the late rally was too small to change the result.

Cardinals Batting Stats

St. Louis finished with 40 at-bats, 13 hits, 10 runs, 10 RBIs, three walks and 12 strikeouts. The Cardinals went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Alec Burleson Led the Cardinals in RBIs

Alec Burleson had one of the best offensive games for St. Louis. He went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs.

His biggest contribution came in the eighth inning. With runners aboard, Burleson delivered a two-run single that pushed the Cardinals from a 7-4 lead to a 9-4 advantage.

His three-hit performance also gave St. Louis another reliable source of contact behind the early home runs.

Jordan Walker Added Power and Timely Hitting

Jordan Walker went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a home run.

His two-run homer came in the first inning and followed JJ Wetherholt’s leadoff blast. Walker’s shot gave St. Louis a 3-0 lead before Pittsburgh had recorded an out.

Walker also produced an RBI single in the eighth inning. His offensive contribution therefore extended beyond the early home run.

JJ Wetherholt Set the Tone Early

JJ Wetherholt opened the game with a home run against Paul Skenes.

The homer came on the third pitch he saw and traveled 391 feet with an exit velocity of 107.7 mph. MLB recorded the blast as his seventh home run of the season.

Wetherholt finished 2-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and one walk. His early power put pressure on the Pirates immediately.

Pirates Batting Stats

Pittsburgh recorded seven hits, five runs, six walks and eight strikeouts. The Pirates went only 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, which limited their ability to turn baserunners into runs.

Bryan Reynolds Produced Two RBIs

Bryan Reynolds was one of Pittsburgh’s strongest hitters. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk.

His two-run double in the fifth inning scored Oneil Cruz and Jake Mangum. The hit reduced the Cardinals’ lead to 5-3 and gave Pittsburgh some momentum.

Reynolds finished with two of Pittsburgh’s seven hits and accounted for half of the team’s four RBIs.

Brandon Lowe Supplied the Pirates’ Home Run

Brandon Lowe went 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI.

His solo homer came in the seventh inning and cut the deficit to 5-4. MLB measured the shot at 416 feet with an exit velocity of 110 mph.

Lowe later doubled in the ninth inning. Oneil Cruz scored on the play after a throwing error by Jordan Walker, giving Pittsburgh its fifth run.

Pitching Stats From the Cardinals vs Pirates Game

The pitching numbers show why the final score was more complicated than the 10-5 margin suggests.

Paul Skenes’ Pitching Line

Paul Skenes started for Pittsburgh and finished with nine strikeouts in five innings.

Skenes had excellent strikeout and walk numbers, but the two early home runs changed the game. Wetherholt and Walker both homered in the opening inning.

The five runs charged to Skenes included three earned runs in the official pitching line. That distinction matters when comparing the box score with his ERA.

Hunter Dobbins’ Start for St. Louis

Hunter Dobbins made his Cardinals debut and worked 4⅓ innings.

Dobbins limited Pittsburgh to two hits but issued five walks. Pittsburgh converted some of those opportunities into runs, including a fourth-inning run and a two-run fifth inning.

Gordon Graceffo Earned the Win

Gordon Graceffo received the winning decision after pitching 1⅓ scoreless innings.

He allowed no hits, no runs and no walks while striking out one batter. His work helped St. Louis keep Pittsburgh from completing its comeback.

Why the Cardinals Won

The final score tells part of the story. The team statistics explain the rest.

St. Louis Created More Offensive Pressure

The Cardinals produced 13 hits compared with seven for Pittsburgh. They also hit two home runs and recorded 10 RBIs.

Pittsburgh reached base six times through walks, but those walks did not translate into enough runs. St. Louis was more effective when runners reached scoring position.

The First Inning Put Pittsburgh in a Difficult Spot

Wetherholt’s home run came first. Walker then followed with a two-run homer.

That gave St. Louis a 3-0 lead against Skenes before the Pirates had a chance to settle into the game. MLB noted that Skenes had been in strong form during April before this outing.

The Eighth Inning Ended the Comeback Chance

Pittsburgh had reduced the deficit to one run after Lowe’s seventh-inning home run. The game was still within reach at 5-4.

St. Louis responded with five runs in the eighth.

Nathan Church started the rally with a two-run double. Burleson followed with a two-run single, and Walker added another RBI single.

That sequence changed the game from a one-run contest into a 10-4 Cardinals lead.

Cardinals vs Pirates Team Statistics

The RISP figures stand out. St. Louis converted half of its opportunities with runners in scoring position, while Pittsburgh converted only one of six.

What the Player Stats Tell Us

The box score points to three main reasons for the Cardinals’ win.

Power Gave St. Louis an Early Lead

Two first-inning home runs immediately put Pittsburgh behind.

Wetherholt and Walker combined for three runs through their homers, forcing Skenes to work from an early deficit.

Contact Kept the Cardinals Moving

St. Louis did not depend entirely on the long ball. Burleson collected three hits, Gorman had two, Pagés had two and Walker had two.

That balance helped the Cardinals produce 13 hits and maintain pressure after the first inning.

Pittsburgh Had Opportunities but Left Too Many Unused

The Pirates drew six walks, twice as many as St. Louis.

That sounds positive, but Pittsburgh went only 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base. St. Louis left seven.

In a five-run game, those missed opportunities mattered.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Series Context

The April 30 game was the fourth and final meeting of the series at PNC Park. St. Louis won all four games, completing the sweep with the 10-5 victory.

The Cardinals had already won the first three games by scores of 11-7, 5-4 and 5-4.

The sweep gave the Cardinals a strong finish to their trip to Pittsburgh. The final game also extended Pittsburgh’s losing streak to five games.

Key Player Takeaways

For anyone reviewing the St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates match player stats, these are the performances that stand out most:

1. Alec Burleson went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
2. Jordan Walker went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a home run.
3. JJ Wetherholt went 2-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and a home run.
4. Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Pittsburgh.
5. Brandon Lowe went 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI.
6. Paul Skenes struck out nine in five innings but allowed seven hits and five runs.
7. Gordon Graceffo earned the win with 1⅓ scoreless innings.
8. St. Louis went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
9. Pittsburgh went 1-for-6 in the same situation.
10. The Cardinals scored five times in the eighth inning to put the game away.

Final Assessment of the Cardinals vs Pirates Stats

The 10-5 score came from a combination of early power, steady hitting and a decisive late rally.

The Cardinals attacked Skenes immediately with two first-inning home runs, then kept adding runs through singles and timely hits. Burleson’s three-hit, three-RBI performance and Walker’s three-RBI night gave the lineup plenty of production.

Pittsburgh had its moments. Reynolds drove in two runs, Lowe homered and the Pirates cut the deficit to one run in the seventh. But the eighth inning changed the game.

For the St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates match player stats, the clearest lesson is that raw strikeouts, home runs or hits do not tell the entire story. Situational hitting played a major role. St. Louis converted five of 10 chances with runners in scoring position, while Pittsburgh converted only one of six. That difference helped turn a competitive game into a Cardinals victory.