After Pages crushed a slider down the left field line for a solo homer to cut the deficit to 2-1. Wetherholt, who has amazed Cardinals coaches all season with his plate patience and his willingness to work counts, took Pittsburgh closer Dennis Santana to a 3-2 count.

Looking something like a far-fetched scene out of a Hollywood movie, Wetherholt turned around a 95-mph fastball with a 100.2 mph laser into the seats in right-center to knot the game.

“I told Pedro that swing he put on that ball (for his homer) really fired me up,” said Wetherholt, who grew up a die-hard Pirates fan and went to dozens of games a year at PNC Park while dreaming of a time when he would become a big leaguer. “That (Santana) guy has been their guy all year and runs had been tough to come by all year against them. As soon as (Pages) did that, I was like, ‘Man, I might as well try to, as well.’ And I was able to do so.”

Fermín, Fernandez become unlikely heroes

Trailing 2-0 most of the night, the Cardinals sent Ryan Fernandez into the game in the seventh inning with hopes that he could hold the game where it was. Fernandez, who is trying to regain his form from 2024 when he was key member of the bullpen, not only pitched two scoreless innings, but he struck out four of the six batters he faced with a tight-breaking slider.

“We all did (need that performance),” manager Oliver Marmol said of Fernandez’s clutch work. “He came in there and punched out four, the slider was good, threw some changeups and got a punch out with the fastball. It had really good life to it. That was a really good outing – one that’s going to give him confidence moving forward.”

Marmol pushed the right button by pinch-hitting Fermín for Nolan Gorman, and the utility player opened the eighth inning with a single. In the ninth, Fermín came up with the bases loaded and delivered a two-run double for the game-winning runs.

“This is a guy who makes a ton of contact … and comes up in that big situation with the bases loaded and is able to drive in two,” Marmol said. “His skillset speaks for itself, and he’s done a nice job when called upon. That’s a big hit there.”

May’s day another strong one

Facing a Pirates team that has dominated foes early in games, May surrendered a run in the first inning and the second inning and then settled in for another strong start.

May walked Brandon Lowe in the first inning and saw him come around to score when Nick O’Hearn ripped a line-drive single into right field. In the second inning, Nick Gonzalez led off with a double and scored on a chopper back up the middle by Jake Mangum.

May allowed just five Pirates to reach after that and pitched around that traffic by using his sweeper to get out of jams. Over six innings, May scattered seven hits and allowed just two runs. He struck out two and walked two while throwing 95 pitches.

After a dreadful start to his Cardinals career with two poor starts, May has allowed just five earned runs over 23 1/3 innings pitched. In a matter of four starts, he’s knocked his ERA down from 15.95 to 5.28.

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