Salas, Pirates outlast Cardinals

Baseball Betting Lines

05/14/2008 - St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marino Salas, a 27-year-old making his major league debut the same day he was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and picked up his first career win in Pittsburgh's 8-4, 10-inning win over the Cardinals, the opener of a three- game set.

Ronny Paulino put the Pirates on top with an RBI single, and Adam LaRoche blew the game wide open with his bases-clearing double. Starter Phil Dumatrait gave up four hits and three runs in six innings, fanning four and walking three for the Pirates, who have won seven of eight.

Ron Villone (0-1) was ripped for four hits and four runs in the 10th to take the loss for the Cardinals, who have dropped three straight and six of seven. Albert Pujols belted a game-tying homer in the eighth for St. Louis. Starter Kyle Lohse gave up five hits and four runs in seven frames.

Salas (1-0) made things interesting in the ninth, walking Aaron Miles to start the frame. Pinch-hitter Adam Wainwright bunted Salas up to second, and Salas then intentionally walked Skip Schumaker. The rookie fanned Brendan Ryan, bringing Pujols to the plate.

Salas wisely walked the St. Louis first baseman, and got Ryan Ludwick to fly out to right the send the game to extras.

The Pirates jumped on top with four runs in the 10th off of Villone. Freddy Sanchez laced a leadoff single to right, and Nate McLouth bunted him up to second. Jason Bay was intentionally walked, and Paulino came through with a line drive single to center, scoring the go-ahead run. Xavier Nady then worked a walk, loading the bases for LaRoche, who stroked a drive into the gap in left-center for a four-run lead.

Matt Capps set the Cards down in order in the home half of the 10th to lock up the win.

Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit left after one inning with a left thumb injury.

A pitch from Dumatrait hit the catcher on the thumb of his glove and skidded past him for a passed ball in the first. Troy Glaus flied out to right, sparing Doumit from having to catch another ball. He was then lifted for a pinch-hitter in the second, as Paulino came on and took his spot behind the plate.

McLouth got the Bucs started in the fourth, following a Sanchez single with a blast to right, boosting the Pirates to a 2-0 lead.

Glaus erased the deficit with one swing, belting a three-run homer to center with two outs in the sixth, and the Cards took a one-run edge.

The Pirates came right back with two runs in the seventh, though. Bay led off with a ground-rule double to right, and Paulino plated him with the tying run on his two-bagger to right. Nady grounded out and LaRoche walked to put runners at the corners, and Jose Bautista poked a single to center to score Paulino, and the Bucs led 4-3.

John Grabow hung a changeup low and over the middle of the plate to Pujols with one out and the bases empty in the eighth, and the Cards first baseman deposited it deep in the seat in left, knotting the game at 4-4.

A Nady double, an intentional walk to LaRoche, and a two-out walk by pinch- hitter Doug Mientkiewicz loaded the bases in the ninth against Ryan Franklin, but pinch-hitter Chris Gomez popped up to first, preserving the tie.

Game Notes

Salas was called up after the Pirates optioned righthander John Van Benschoten to Indianapolis on Tuesday. Van Benschoten was demoted to the minors after losing to Atlanta on Monday. The 28-year-old surrendered nine hits and six runs in four innings, raising his earned run average to 9.39 and dropping his record to 0-2 on the season...The Cards left nine runners on base.