September 17 – Lance Lynn is enjoying a reunion with the St. Louis Cardinals, recording his 2,000th strikeout and pitching his 2,000th career inning of the season.
“When you get older and play a long time, you get lucky to enjoy interesting milestones like this,” said Lynn, who played for the Cardinals from 2011-17. “I’ve done a few this year. Obviously, it’s great to be able to do it in St. Louis where it all started. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to come back here and achieve these milestones.”
Lynn will add to his statistical numbers on Tuesday when he starts the second game of a four-game series against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals won the first game, 4-0, on Monday.
Lynn (6-4, 3.96 ERA), making his first start since July 30 while recovering from a right knee injury suffered on Wednesday, held the Cincinnati Reds to one run on five hits over five innings.
“I love watching him pitch,” head coach Oliver Marmor said. “Angry guy. Yelled at everything. The way he conducted himself lit a fire in everybody.”
Lynn struck out seven Cincinnati batters and walked one as the Cardinals won 2–1.
The 37-year-old veteran has started two games against the Pirates this season and is 0-0 with a 2.89 ERA. His record is 7-9 with a 5.13 ERA in 26 career games against Pittsburgh, including 24 starts.
Bailey Falter (8-7, 4.20 ERA) will start for the Pirates. He played one of his best games of the season on Wednesday, shutting out the Miami Marlins while allowing two hits in 7 1/3 innings. Falter struck out five and walked three.
“I think being able to get in there with a fastball and a slider on the inside half of the plate is key,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “I thought he did a really good job on the arm side. It’s the best job we’ve seen him do in two years when we needed a good start.”
Falter faced the Cardinals for the first time this season, a 4–2 loss in St. Louis on June 12. He allowed three runs on eight hits in four innings, struck out five and walked one.
For his career, he has a 1–1 record with a 4.08 ERA in four games against the Cardinals, including two starts.
The Pirates continued to prepare for next year by adding infield/outfield prospect Nick York to their roster on Monday. He started at second base in the series opener and went 0 for 3.
“He’s a guy that we acquired at the (trade) deadline and has been really good all year in Triple-A and as we move forward over the next two weeks, (he’s) a guy we want to take a look at because we think he’s going to be a part of our future,” Shelton said.
Infielder Alika Williams was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis, clearing a spot for York.
Pirates center fielder O’Neil Cruz missed Monday’s game because of an ankle injury. He could return Tuesday.
“I think because of the severity of this injury, we’re probably going to have to contend with O’Neal for the next couple of years,” Shelton said. “The game (Monday) is smart.”
Pittsburgh reliever Kyle Nichols exited Monday’s game with an injury after striking out the only batter in the eighth inning.
–Visual-level media
