The St. Louis Cardinals picked up a 5-1 road win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, overcoming an early one-run deficit to pull away in a division matchup. Matthew Liberatore earned the victory after striking out six and allowing just one earned run over 5.2 innings, while JJ Wetherholt delivered a 3-for-4 performance at the plate to pace the Cardinals offense. The four-run margin at the final out tells a clean story: St. Louis controlled this game once the lineup got going, and the bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way.
Liberatore Limits Pirates Damage, Cardinals Bullpen Finishes Strong
Liberatore was the engine of this win. The left-hander worked 5.2 innings, scattered six hits, issued zero walks, and punched out six Pirates hitters. He was charged with one earned run — the lone Pittsburgh run of the game — and gave his club every chance to win. Brandon Eisert drew the loss for Pittsburgh after a rough 0.2-inning outing in which he surrendered three earned runs on two hits and a walk. That stretch was the turning point of the ballgame.
After Liberatore exited, Luis Gastelum handled 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing no hits and no walks. Ryne Stanek followed with a clean inning, striking out one. George Soriano locked down the ninth, punching out two in a hitless frame to complete the 5-1 final.
Wetherholt, Fermín Carry Cardinals Offense
St. Louis got production up and down the lineup, with Wetherholt and José Fermín doing the most damage. Wetherholt went 3-for-4 with an RBI, giving the Cardinals a reliable presence in the lineup. Fermín added a 2-for-4 night to contribute consistent contact across his four at-bats.
For Pittsburgh, Brandon Lowe provided the lone bright spot at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and the team's only RBI. Ryan O'Hearn also had two hits in three at-bats, but the Pirates couldn't string anything together against the Cardinals pitching staff.
Turning Point: Eisert's Rough Outing Opens the Floodgates
The Cardinals entered Wednesday trailing after Pittsburgh scratched across a run, but the game flipped decisively when Eisert came on in relief for the Pirates. In 0.2 innings, he gave up three earned runs — turning a one-run Pittsburgh lead into a Cardinals advantage they would not surrender. That sequence was the back-breaker. Once St. Louis grabbed the lead, Liberatore and the bullpen made sure the Pirates had no path back into the game.
Pittsburgh's pitching committee — Khristian Curtis (3.2 IP, 3 ER) and Antwone Kelly (2.0 IP, 0 ER) — produced mixed results behind Eisert, but the damage was already done by the time Curtis worked into the middle innings.
What's Next for the Cardinals
St. Louis will look to build on this division win as the 2026 regular season winds toward its conclusion. The Cardinals continue their road schedule, with the pitching staff showing bullpen depth capable of protecting leads. Keep an eye on Wetherholt — a 3-for-4 game with an RBI in a division road win is exactly the kind of production this lineup needs going forward.
