The home run has been key to the St. Louis Cardinals offense in 2016 and it again proved to be the difference as the team rallied for a 9th inning comeback on Wednesday night to beat Pittsburgh 9-7.

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Yadier Molina got things started in the 1st inning with a grand slam and Matt Adams added on with a solo shot. But the Cardinals later fell behind and 6-5 as they entered the final frame.

With two outs and two strikes, Matt Carpenter went yard to tie the game at 6-6.

“That might be the win of the year–it has to be,” stated Carpenter to Jim Hayes on the Fox Sports Midwest postgame show.

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The blast from Carpenter was the 15th pinch hit home run of the season for the Cardinals–a new Major League record. Two batters later, Randal Grichuk delivered a tw0-run shot and Jhonny Peralta followed with a solo drive to complete the Cardinals scoring.

“I’m just…um…yeah, um…just I love how this team competes,” smiled Mike Matheny as he shook his head postgame. “You’re talking down to the last out. And having a guy like Carp, just hadn’t felt quite right, to be able to come into that situation. And then right after that–wow. Yeah, I’m at a loss.”

For the season, the Cardinals have now hit 201 home runs–closing in on the franchise record of 235 hit by the 2000 squad.

Rookie Mike Mayers, who pitched a perfect 8th inning of relief, was awarded the victory–the first of his big league career.

photo credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

 

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