In another see-saw affair, that featured 5 lead changes, the Cardinals bested the Pirates at Elm Street Park on Friday nite, by a score of 6-5.
Pirates pus-tossing right-hander Jimmie Dalton toed the slab for the Bucs, and escaped a 1-out bases full jam in the top of the first, with the Cardinals squeezing out a 1-0 lead. Pirates answered with the wheels of Jim Jasiewicz, who led off with an infield hit, a stolen bag, advanced on a ground out, and scored on a Paul Peters rbi ground out. Dalton looked to be settling in, with 2 quick outs, before the Pirates gift wrapped 2 runs on 4 consecutive errors to give the Cardinals a 3-1 advantage. Meanwhile, Cardinal ace Bill Chichester was mowing down the Pirates, retiring 7 in a row, before Jasiewicz was at it again with a single, moving up on a wild pitch, and scoring on a Peters single. Peters stole 2nd, and was plated on a Jim Ansel rbi knock to knot things at 3-3. "Can't break glass" Dalton then hung a couple of goose eggs to keep the Cards at bay into the 5th. Steve Schaeffer led off with his 2nd hit of the nite, followed by an Ed Potash rip, and came around to score on a Ben Phillips Sac Fly, to go up 4-3. The Swashbucklers again found a way, as consecutive free passes ended Chichester's outing, and brought in hard throwing lefty, Jeff Martin. A great sac bunt by ageless Art Gianakos, set the table with runners at 2nd and 3rd, when 2 uncharacteristic Card miscues, followed by a Jim Denney single, getting the Pirates back on top at 5-4 after 5. Dalton worked around his only free pass of the nite, to hang another zero and keep the lead. Martin was very effective with a good sixth. Cardinals struck again in the 7th. After getting the first out, a tiring Dalton gave up single (Potash 4-4) -single-single to load then up. Pirates infield playing in to cut off the tying run were foiled, when Dalton got the needed ground ball, but the throw home was off line. Pirates still in, an another ground ball, by WP Martin was bobbled, with no play at the plate, and the Cardinals had a 6-5 lead. Pirates hoping to walk it off, had a start when Ken Shaw singled and stole 2nd. Martin was just too tough getting a comebacker, a K, and a 4-3 to end the threat and seal the Cardinals win, to even their record at 1-1. Pirates dropped their 2nd 1-run decision and fall to 0-2,
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WP - Martin (1-0) LP - Dalton (0-1)
IP H R ER BB K Chichester 4 5 5 5 2 2 Martin 3 4 0 0 0 1
Dalton 7 10 6 2 1 1
Potash 4-4, r Schaeffer 2-4 rbi, r Sheehan 2-4 rbi
