Sixth-inning rally propels Pittsburgh by St. Louis

Boston Red Sox outfielders, from left to right, Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran and Alex Verdugo celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston Red Sox outfielders, from left to right, Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran and Alex Verdugo celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

PITTSBURGH -- Connor Joe learned the importance of beating the St. Louis Cardinals when the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted the now well-traveled outfielder nearly a decade ago.

The Cardinals have long been a measuring stick for the Pirates, one they've largely failed to meet for most of the last quarter century or more.

It's June. It's still really, really early. Yet there are signs Pittsburgh has closed the gap on a team that's been more tormentor than a rival for a long, long time.

Joe's two-run double highlighted a sixth-inning rally and the Pirates surged past St. Louis for a second time in less than 24 hours, edging the Cardinals 4-3 on Saturday for their fourth consecutive victory.

The teams split a four-game set at Busch Stadium in mid-April. Nearly two months later, the Pirates have taken two at PNC Park with the kind of scrappy, grinding approach they believe has to be their identity if they want to challenge for the NL Central sooner rather than later.

"It's kind of ingrained in us that every time we step on the field we want to beat those guys, whether it's us playing the State College Spikes (in the minor leagues) or whatever," said Joe, who eventually bounced between four different teams before returning to Pittsburgh in the offseason. "So, I'm very aware of the rivalry. It's good to play competitive baseball."

BREWERS 10, REDS 8 Blake Perkins hit a grand slam for his first career home run and drove in five runs, helping Milwaukee defeat Cincinnati. William Contreras also went deep in Milwaukee's third win in four games.

PHILLIES 4, NATIONALS 2 J.T. Realmuto hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, and Philadelphia snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Washington.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ASTROS 9, ANGELS 6 Alex Bregman hit a grand slam and Chas McCormick homered to help Houston beat Los Angeles and earn its third consecutive victory.

GUARDIANS 4, TWINS 2 Will Brennan hit the first home run allowed this season by Sonny Gray in the seventh inning and Logan Allen pitched six strong innings for Cleveland in a win over Minnesota.

RANGERS 16, MARINERS 6 Marcus Semien, Leody Taveras, Nathaniel Lowe and Mitch Garver homered, and Texas won for the fourth time in five games by beating Seattle. Semien extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, longest in the majors this season.

RED SOX 8-2, RAYS 5-4 Harold Ramirez hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the ninth inning and Jose Siri made a diving catch for the final out, sending Tampa Bay to a victory over Boston and a split of their day-night doubleheader. In the opener, Justin Turner's three-run double highlighted Boston's six-run sixth inning that carried the Red Sox to a victory.

WHITE SOX 2, TIGERS 1 (10) Yoan Moncada scampered home on a 10th-inning wild pitch that knocked down umpire Cory Blaser, sending Chicago to a victory over Detroit. All three runs in the game were scored on wild pitches.

INTERLEAGUE

BLUE JAYS 2, METS 1 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an RBI double in the ninth inning, leading Toronto to a victory over New York.

MARLINS 12, ATHLETICS 1 Luis Arraez had a career-high five hits and five RBI, sending Miami to the win over Oakland.

ROCKIES 6, ROYALS 4 Elehuris Montero hit a two-run triple in Colorado's five-run first inning as the Rockies defeated Kansas City.

YANKEES 6, DODGERS 3 Aaron Judge hit his 19th home run and made an outstanding catch in the corner in right, and Gerrit Cole (7-0) stayed unbeaten with six innings of four-hit ball before leaving early in New York's victory over Los Angeles.

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