The Pittsburgh Pirates hoped to carry the momentum earned in a National League Wild Card win over the Cincinnati Reds into a tough Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Struggling in all areas of the game to open the series however, the Bucs will now need to regroup with Game 2 right around the corner. Starter A.J. Burnett certainly didn't have his best stuff in the opener, surrendering seven runs in two innings while watching his offense struggle at the plate. Sending rookie Gerrit Cole to the mound next, the Pirates hope to rebuild some solid momentum before returning home while the Cardinals and manager Mike Matheny look for another impressive victory that could propel the team the rest of the way.
"To be able to get out on a good first step and play well today I think is big for our guys confidence-wise," Matheny said after the 9-1 opening game victory. "Gives us an opportunity to just take some momentum, and momentum is big right now when you talk about a five-game series." Matheny watched as ace Adam Wainwright dominated the Pittsburgh line-up for seven innings. Surrendering only one run while striking out nine batters, Wainwright helped his team race to an early series lead and with Lance Lynn getting the call next for the Cards (8-2 at home in 2013), St. Louis is in prime position to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Pittsburgh will send rookie Gerrit Cole to the mound with the hopes that his performance is much improved from that of Burnett. Currently holding a record of 11-7 with a 3.22 ERA in 19 starts, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has tremendous faith in the right hander and the entire club since they've shown the ability to bounce back from brutal losses in the past.
"We've lost a few games like this this year, so what we've been good at is just moving on," Hurdle said. "We knew coming in we had to find a way to win a game here. Didn't win today. We're really good at dealing with the reality of the situation."
Cole is confident in his abilities as well and since he was just two years old the last time Pittsburgh was in the postseason, the 23-year-old wants to make sure he's prepared to help the team the best way he can.
"I need to be able to take care of my routine and be able to feel comfortable out there," Cole said. "Allowing yourself to take a step back and enjoy what's happening and kind of take in the whole atmosphere and the distractions that come with it, being where I am now, and this is a whole new experience for me ... I just want to keep my head down and stay the course."
NLDS Game 2: Pirates at Cardinals - DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Friday, October 4
TIME: 1:00pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: MLB Network
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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