PITTSBURGH — Whatever happened later in the game to decide who had the more runs, the Cardinals had at least a gulp of concern for who was lost from the game.
All-Star closer Ryan Helsley got five pitches into his scheduled appearance Tuesday night at PNC Park before having to field a ball hit back at him and avoid the shards of a bat he split. He placed his right hand on the ground to keep his balance, and at some point in that series of events appeared to jam a finger on his pitching hand. He was unable to continue, and the Cardinals’ initial diagnosis was a jammed middle finger on his right hand. A team official said Helsley was removed out of a sense of “precaution,” and the right-hander would be reevaluated late Tuesday.
The Cardinals' plan, after talks with the closer about how he'd like to get ready for the postseason, was to get Helsley one inning of work against the Pirates regardless of the score and then give him the next two days off. That would be his rest ahead of Game 1 of the wild-card series that opens Friday at Busch Stadium.
The score the Cardinals’ had for Helsley was fitting — a tie game.
Rushed in to replace Helsley, rookie Zack Thompson froze the score and bought time for the Cardinals to win in extra innings. Rookie Juan Yepez singled home Ben DeLuzio, the runner spontaneously generated by rule at second to start the 10th inning, to take the Cardinals' first lead since the third inning. Former Pirate Chris Stratton handled the bottom of the inning and Andrew Knizner handled a crucial tag at the plate to secure an 8-7 victory against Pittsburgh.
The Pirates lost their 100th game for a second consecutive season.
For the second time in as many games at PNC Park, Albert Pujols provided a lead for the Cardinals — and then it vanished. Pittsburgh doused the Cardinals with a six-run third inning to threaten a rout, but the Cardinals knotted the game, 7-7, and sent it hurtling toward extra innings.
