Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo homer in Pirates' 5-4 win over Cardinals

[August 31, 2026]  By JEFF LATZKE

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo homered, Brandon Lowe added an RBI single and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Sunday.

Braxton Ashcraft (14-5) held St. Louis without an extra-base hit over five innings to become the first Pirates pitcher since 2018 (Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams) to reach 14 wins. He allowed two runs on six hits, struck out three and walked one.

St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Gorman fouls off a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

In the second inning, Valdez hit a two-run home run off Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (5-13) that stayed just inside the right-field foul pole. Triolo drilled a 412-foot blast into the left-field stands in the fifth inning to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-0.

Thomas Saggese singled three times and scored twice. He moved into the St. Louis lineup after infielder JJ Wetherholt was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with right wrist tendinitis.

Alec Burleson achieved his first 100 RBI season when he and Iván Herrera had back-to-back run-scoring singles with two outs in the fifth inning.

Herrera also had an RBI double in the seventh to pull St. Louis within 5-4. Yohan Ramirez got Nolan Gorman to fly out to end that threat with runners on second and third.

Mason Montgomery earned his seventh save with a spotless ninth.

Liberatore struck out nine in 5 2-3 innings while throwing a career-high 107 pitches. He gave up four runs on six hits and a pair of walks.

The Pirates got an unearned run in the third when Ramón Urías dropped Lowe's two-out popup, allowing Oneil Cruz to score.

Up next
Pittsburgh: RHP Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.79 ERA) starts Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series at San Diego. The Padres have not announced their starter.

St. Louis: The Cardinals have not announced their rotation for a three-game series against Los Angeles that starts Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. LHP Eric Lauer (8-6, 4.78 ERA) goes for LA in the opener.

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