PITTSBURGH _ For the second time in three days, normally sure-handed Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong mishandled a potentially inning-ending forceout at second base Friday night and the mistake turned into a disastrous, multi-run inning.
Pittsburgh caught and then passed the Cardinals with a six-run burst in the seventh. The Pirates added two in the eighth to speed off to a 9-4 win, their first over the Cardinals in seven games at PNC Park this season.
The rally in the seventh came after Tommy Edman's second homer of the game had sparked a two-run Cardinals flurry in the top of the inning.
Reliever John Gant allowed a leadoff single to Pirates pinch hitter Cole Tucker in the seventh and walked Kevin Newman with one out. Left-hander Andrew Miller relieved to strike out switch-hitter Bryan Reynolds and remained in to face right-handed-hitting Starling Marte, who grounded up the middle.
DeJong made the reception and in a continuous motion was going to flip to second baseman Kolten Wong for the final out. But DeJong, who had made two stellar players earlier, couldn't get a grip on the ball and he belatedly floated a throw, almost shoving it, to try to get the sliding Newman. It was too late.
With the bases loaded, Josh Bell's blooper to right landed just outside the reach of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, two runs scored and the Pirates were within 4-3.
Pinch hitter Melky Cabrera lined a single past DeJong to tie the game. That was all for Miller, who gave way to right-hander John Brebbia, who had no more success. Jose Osuna singled to put the Pirates ahead and Adam Frazier tripled to move them farther ahead at 7-4.
Marte's two-run single off Mike Mayers put the game out of realistic reach in the eighth.
