Cardinals Defeat Pirates 2-1, Extend Losing Streak to Six

The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered their sixth consecutive loss, falling 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis. Despite a promising outing from pitcher Paul Skenes, who allowed just two runs over six innings, the Pirates’ offense continued to struggle, managing only four hits. Ke’Bryan Hayes provided the Pirates' sole run with an RBI double in the sixth, but Alec Burleson answered with a two-run double for the Cardinals in the bottom of the inning. Skenes dropped to 0-4 against St. Louis in his career, receiving minimal run support in those starts. Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore pitched seven strong innings, striking out eight and allowing just one run, helping the Cardinals notch their fourth straight win. The Pirates, having lost nine of their last ten games, will look to end their skid in the series finale.